Doha: The Cabinet yesterday approved a draft law regulating commercial and industrial outlets and vendors and referred it to the Advisory Council for recommendations. Once the law takes effect, it will ban vendors from doing business without a licence.
The draft law has provisions for licensing and monitoring of commercial facilities, including eateries, hotels, clinics, offices and shops selling hazardous material.
It stipulates that vendors can work only under a licenced outlet and the request for the licence should be submitted by the attached shop. Vendors will not be allowed to do jobs and work in localities are not specified in the licence. The minimum age for vendors for obtaining a licence is 18 years.
They are also not permitted to chase people and force them to buy goods or use their services. They cannot operate near schools, education centres, hospitals and health centres.
The draft law also bans them from selling crackers and making noisy advertisements using bells, horns, whistles or any other instruments that could cause disturbance to the public. They can go out selling goods only during the hours specified in the licence.
The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning will identify the areas, streets and facilities where it is not permitted to open commercial outlets. It will also lay down rules and regulations for setting up shops in residential areas. The Peninsula
