OSHAKATI – The Oshakati Town Council will embark on a special registration of, and the issuing of fitness certificates to, all businesses operating at the town as from today until Friday.

The town’s corporate communications officer, Jackson Muma, said this in a media statement here on Friday.
“Council has noticed that some businesspeople are conducting business in town without valid registration/fitness certificates, contrary to regulations related to business operations in town,” Muma said.
According to him, the campaign will be carried out in accordance with the General Health Regulation, Act 121 of 14 October 1969, and also in line with the provision of Section 30 of the Local Authority Act 23 of 1993 as amended.

During the campaign, council will establish mobile registration centres to cater for all types of businesses operating in Oshakati.
These are the main Oshakati Open Market, Uupindi Informal Market, Tafel House Market, Okandjengedi Informal Market, Waapandula Noyaka (behind Yetu Shopping Centre), and the Namibia Development Corporation (NDC) industrial area.
Muma explained that payments for business registration and fitness certificates will depend on the size of each business.
The annual payments are N$80 for hawkers, N$350 for small enterprises (SMEs), inluding shebeens and bars, while medium-size businesses have to pay N$702 and large businesses N$1 200.

Upon completion of the campaign, Muma said, council shall enforce controlling mechanisms to ensure that all businesses operating within the Oshakati Local Authority domain are registered as stipulated in the local authorities’ regulations.
“Therefore, council is urging all businesspeople trading in Oshakati without valid certificates, to use this special registration period as the last chance allocated by council to register their businesses to avoid legal action to be instituted thereafter as highlighted in this communication,” Muma concluded. - Nampa