Small and medium enterprises in the Western Province have failed to pay up their business licenses.
This was revealed by the Provincial Treasury Division after visiting all the business operators between Marovo and Shortlands last month.
Western Provincial Government (WPG) Provincial Secretary, Jeffrey Wickham in an interview on Tuesday said the treasury staff visited businesses operating in the province to check their business licenses.
PS Wickham said it is the first time the treasury office staff visited the rural businesses.
“The outcome of the visit has seen many small businesses operating illegally throughout the past years up to date.”
As such he said the Western Provincial Government is expecting all businesses to pay up their business licenses during the financial year of the province.
The financial year starts from April to May where all the businesses must pay up their licenses at Gizo, Munda, and Seghe, he added.
“The problem at the moment right now is for quiet sometimes, the rural business operators have never paid their licenses.
“Yet, they expect the province to go down to the rural areas to check on all the businesses license.
“There is a lack of understanding and communicating between the business houses and the province,” he said.
He said it’s the obligation of the business operators to pay up their licenses.
The PS said the province now already has a list of data of all businesses that are operating within the province.
He warned that all business operators are required to pay up their business licenses before running their businesses.
“By early next year all the local business operators are asked to come forward to pay up their business license and just simply follow the rules the province has set,” he said.
BY ULUTAH GINA
GIZO NEWS BUREAU
