The Government has moved to protect certain Anguillian businesses already outnumbered by foreign-owned enterprises in some categories. The action has been by way of a Bill for a Business Licence Moratorium Act, 2019, introduced in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, February 20.
The details of the debate, which were too close to press time for The Anguillian coverage, will be given in next week’s edition of the newspaper.
The Bill reads as follows:
“WHEREAS section 3 of the Trades, Businesses, Occupations and Professions Licensing Act creates an obligation for persons carrying on any trade, business, occupation or profession to obtain annual licence in accordance with the Act; and
“WHEREAS the Permanent Secretary on being satisfied that an application under section 5 of the Trades, Businesses, Occupations and Professions Licensing Act has been properly made and the correct fee tendered, shall grant such licence under the Act; and
“WHEREAS it is in the public interest that a temporary moratorium prohibiting the granting of licences under section 7 of the Act is adopted so that the Government of Anguilla may review the business licence regime in order to regulate the grant of such licences in relation to clearly define categories of enterprise and business activities having regard for the emerging needs of the economy of Anguilla and to protect certain Anguilla businesses
“Be enacted by the Legislature of Anguilla…..a Moratorium on granting licences under the Trades, Businesses, Occupations and Professions Licensing Act.”
The measure provides that between March 1, 2019 and March 1, 2020, no licences for any trade, business, occupation or profession shall be granted by the Permanent Secretary to any applicant pursuant to section 7 of the Act.
