Five-level process is now three levels. General conditions have been reduced from 37 to 31, special conditions from 35 to 20.
Mumbai’s restaurants and small businesses received a major boost when the local municipal corporation came through on its promises to ease the way business is done. The BMC has reduce permissions required for obtaining licences for 38 sectors, including the restaurant and hotel industries.
As it is doing nationwide, in Maharashtra, the NRAI has been lobbying the state government and the Mumbai administration to reduce the number of licences that’s burdening the restaurant industry. The ‘ease of doing business’ is top priority for the association and implementing the single window system is a stated goal for NRAI president, Riyaaz Amlani.
A 30-point charter of demands was submitted to BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta urging him to simplify the licensing and permissions process.
“Though I have not received any official circular from the BMC, I welcome this decision. It shows the government is moving in the right direction and is committed to simplifying ease of doing business,” said Riyaaz Amlani.
“We had told Mr. Mehta that there is a central body like the FSSAI governing eating houses now, so obtaining eating house licences from city authorities is duplication of work. We had also asked for three-year renewals instead of annual ones, and an online process. It appears he has done what was immediately possible,” said Amlani.
Also read: Maharashtra licences will come down to 20
Of the 38 sectors that benefited, the F&B related ones are:
- Restaurants
- Permit rooms
- Beer bars
- Lodging houses
- Hotels
- Sweet shops
- Shops selling soft drinks & food items
- Fruit juice centres
- Bakeries
- Sugarcane juice centres.
Earlier, these businesses required permissions from the BMC’s public health department. Now, the civic body has decided to reduce the number of general, special conditions and no-objection certificates (NOC) required for such businesses from 72 to 51.
Anyone wanting to set up any of these business required an elaborate set of permissions from the Building and Factory department and an NOC from the BMC fire department, which had to be submitted to the Public Health Department before the establishments could be opened to business. Now, such owners will only need an NOC from the fire brigade.
The licensing process was a five-level one, which required permissions to the proposal of a new business initiative from the ward office level to the executive health officer level. It is rationalised to three levels, empowering primarily the ward office. After the medical health officer submits such proposals for licensing, the ward officer can give approval. The conditions imposed by the health department and the Chief Fire Officer, however, will be applicable.
The general conditions for licences have been reduced from 37 to 31 and special conditions have been reduced from 35 to 20, making it easier for entrepreneurs to set up such businesses.
The application forms have been further simplified, and will be uploaded on the BMC website. It is expected that the licensing process will be completed within one month. If an application is rejected, the applicant will be informed within a month.
On December 22, 2015 the state government had cancelled the Eating House registration certificate, swimming pool licence, Place of Public Entertainment Licence A & B, and Performance License removing eating houses and hotels from the purview of the police.
