DOHA: A law is on the anvil to allow online trading in the country and provide licence to a new business, including those owned by foreigners, in just a day through a single-window clearance system.
If an applicant wanting to set up a business fails to fulfill the criteria, the Ministry of Business and Trade, the licensing authority and the facilitator of the single-window, would say a “no” on the spot. The Ministry has framed two draft laws — one to regulate commercial registration and licensing of businesses in general, while the other pertains specifically to the licensing of shops, industrial installations, garages, and vendors, among others.
Shops include hotels, restaurants, cafetarias, clubs and clinics, among other outlets.
No vendor will be given a licence to operate independently. Vending licences will only be given to businesses that have shops and offices. The branches of a business will not be required to name a person separately who would be legally responsible for the operations of that branch, as it the case now. Instead, an applicant for a business licence will be required to name just one person as legally responsible for its operations, whether at its main office or at branches.
Licences will be issued for a year and will be renewable for another year or for a number of years. The current law (Number 25 of 2005) provides for licensing of a business or shop or industrial installation for a year and renewal for five years.
Under the new laws the drafts of which were approved by the State Cabinet on April 10, businesses, including shops, offices and other outlets, could be given a license even for less than a year.
A highlight of the new legislations that are in the pipeline is that businesses will be allowed to carry out online trading. It is understood that for that purpose extensive rules will be set in place in the near future.
The aim of the new laws is to over-simplify licensing procedures for businesses and attract increased inflow of foreign investment, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported yesterday quoting the Minister of Business and Trade, H E Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.
Once the legislations are in force, Qatar would have a higher ranking in the world in terms of the “ease of doing business”, the Minister said. “We will issue a business licence and registration in just one day.”
The Qatari youth are quite eager to do online trading, he said, adding: “So the new law will allow that”.
He said the existing businesses, including shops and other installations, will be asked to conform to the new laws within six months after they have been put into force.
About vending activities, the new legislation will replace one that was enforced 44 years ago (Law Number 3 of 1969), the Minister said, adding that the former would not allow vendors to operate independently. They must be part of a shop, office or any such licensed installation.
And the areas in which vending will be allowed will also be specified by the new legislation.
