1. How to Apply for a Shop Licence?

Application for A Shop License Procedure

1. First acquire premises, please note that it should be proper premises with a shop front. (Display window)
2. Collect application forms from the City Hall Room 6.
3. The manager of the business (the person in actual control of the business) to complete a Declaration Form (i.e. stating if he/she has been convicted of any offence within the past five years) before the Commissioner of Oaths. (See question 4 of S. L. 2 Form)
4. Complete and return all the forms to the City Hall Room 6.
a . Form S.L. 2
b . Trading Permit Form
c . Declaration Form
d . Notice of intention to apply for the issue of a new license. (advert
5. Collect proformas from the City Hall Room 6 & Health Services Department i.e. for the application fee & Inspection Fee respectively & payment to be made at the Revenue Hall.
6. Submit Trading Permit Form (i.e. for the Temporary Licence) & the inspection fee receipt at the Towerblock first floor reception, Health Services Department.
7. Pay for the advert at the Chronicle Offices.
8. Application fee receipt & advertising fee receipts to be submitted at the City Hall, Room 6.
9. An Inspector from the Health Services Department will then carry out inspection. If the premises are suitable the applicant will collect the trading Permit Form from the Health Services Department & then proceed to the Revenue Hall ( Licensing Section) to pay for temporary licence which is for three months only.
10. Applicant to submit proof of publication.
11. When the application to Full Licence has been approved an Enabling Certificate will be issued to the applicant.
12. On presentation of the Enabling Certificate and payment of the appropriate fee at the Revenue Hall, Licensing Section will issue a licence (i.e. up to the end of December). Renewals to be made annually before the first of January, delays will attract penalties charged per month.

PLEASE NOTE:

a. Subject to the Provisions of the Shop Licences Act Chapter 14:17, no person shall, in any shop, store or other fixed place of business, carry on the trade or business of selling or letting for hire any goods, except in terms of a licence.
b. Every applicant for the issue of a new licence shall, in terms of subsection (2), publish in a newspaper circulating in the licensing area of the licensing authority two notices.
(i) The first publication to be not more than forty-two days or less than twenty-eight day before the date w of the council meeting. The second publication shall be not less than seven or more than fourteen days w after the first publication.

2. How do I get Title Deeds?

The council regularly receives inquiries on how to get Title Deeds for one's property, especially in the High Density areas. This article summaries the procedures to get freehold title and subsequently title deeds. Most of the houses in the high-density areas are on leasehold.
All such applications should start at the local housing office and not at the City Hall or Tower block. Below is the summary of the procedure:
Now Read Carefully What Follows
1. If you are holding property on leasehold you have to apply to your housing officer to covert it to a freehold property.
2. The housing officer will process your application and forward it to the Director of Housing and Community Services.
3. At the Head Office they will check whether you own any other house.
4. The Housing Department will then liaise with the Valuation Section in the Chamber Secretary's Department for the determination of the stand price.
5. The Conveyancing Section in the Chamber Secretary's Department will liaise with the City Treasurer to check on any amounts outstanding i.e. rentals, supplementary charges etc.
6. The loan balance and all the outstanding amounts have to be paid in full before lawyers are instructed to transfer property.
7. The stand will be title surveyed and the survey records have to be approved by the Surveyor General first.
8. Thereafter, the Conveyancing Section instructs the relevant lawyers to transfer the house to the applicant.
9. Upon payment of legal charges, transfer fees and survey fees the lawyer then lodges the deed document for registration with the Deeds Office
10. Once registered at the Deeds Office, Gogo becomes the proud owner of the house, with her Title Deeds safely kept (not under the mattress please, as that is a very important document - you can ask your lawyer or bank to keep it for you.
Because the procedure is long, particularly where title survey has not been done, it is advisable to start the process now, rather than when Title Deeds are required for say, collateral.