Licensing fees are one of the major challenges faced by businesses every year.

Minister for Industry and Trade Premila Kumar says under the current Business Licensing Act, different fees are attached to various requirements.

Kumar says the existing system is a burden on micro-businesses.

“Vegetable vendors will tell you that just because we started a grog business, we have to have another license for grog. We have another license for tobacco then we have to have stall fees and if the name of the business is registered then you have to have business registration name has to be displayed and these are micro-businesses we are talking about so it becomes too cumbersome.”

The ministry is working on reforms that will lead to a new business licensing structure from January next year.