Soon, traders can shift biz addresses without changing trade licence no.

Kolkata: In a bid to provide relief for small and medium traders in the city, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is mulling to introduce new rules where even if traders shift their businesses to new addresses their trade licence number will remain the same, thus saving them from the hassle of applying for a new number.

It was learnt that as per the existing rule, traders need to apply for new licence numbers in case they change addresses of their businesses. It is required of them to surrender their old trade licence numbers. This has paved the way for a problem wherein even after shifting addresses, license holders are barely showing any interest in getting a renewed number. It has paved the way for non-renewal of these licences. Sources said many a time civic body officials, during site inspection, find there are no businesses at a particular address under that licence number. Hence, these licenses get eventually deleted from the civic body’s records. This puts the traders in difficulty as when they are asked to produce their licences, they do not show up in the records.

Such situations, it is learnt, have paved the way for complications in the work of the civic body forcing it to come up with a solution. It was learnt that the KMC is now mulling measures whereby the old licence numbers can be renewed in case the business location has shifted.

The civic body may introduce this new provision in days to come. Under this, a trader will be able to renew their old license after address change through online mode since applications for trade licences are now done without having to physically visit the KMC headquarters. This move will be part of KMC’s Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), it

was learnt.

In recent times, the KMC has been working to support the small and medium traders. Millennium Post had reported on November 24, 2023 that in a bid to encourage small businesses and generate employment, KMC is considering amending its Land Use & Development Control Plan (LUDCP) to allow change of use from residential buildings to commercial ones in areas which are not under the ‘Development Control Zone- C’ as per the LUDCP.

The decision came after chief minister Mamata Banerjee emphasized encouragement of small businesses to generate employment.