Acting Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour Dr. Kedrick Pickering cautions that not everyone who applies for a trade license will get. Photo: VINO

Minister for Communications and Works Mark Vanterpool says the National Business Bureau will also guide persons on how to obtain trade licenses. Photo: VINO

"I think we have to understand that. The government of necessity will have to look at what the areas of priority might be, how best to ensure that the overall development of the country is being served and so I don’t think it is just because you apply for a trade license you will get a trade license,” Dr. Pickering, who is also the Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, said during a live broadcast of ‘NDP Radio’ on November 21, 2011.

“I think the single most important thing is to ensure that once someone applies for a trade license, or any facet of Government, is that you get a timely response. I think that is what is important, that if you apply you get a timely response and at least you get a clear indication of where the process is and if it is not going to be granted you are not going to be holding on for three, four years before you are told,” Dr. Pickering further explained.

The 7th District representative and Deputy Premier, who is acting for Premier Dr. D. Orlando Smith, who is in London, was responding to a caller who wanted to know what Government was planning to do about the “cumbersome process" of obtaining a trade license.

Dr. Pickering disclosed that the Premier was embarking on an overall restructuring of the department that deals with trade licenses to iron out some of the “kinks that are interfering with making the process itself move smoothly. There are some structural changes to be made and there are some things to be done with respect to the overall policy of making sure that this process not only runs smoothly but is shortened to the shortest possible time frame for a turnaround”.

Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark Vanterpool, who was the host of the programme, said the move to improve the processing of trade licenses ties into the concept of the National Business Bureau. He said the bureau would assist persons to get a trade license and would also give them the necessary business advice.

“We want to encourage especially younger persons who want to get into business or so to guide them and help them to the National Business Bureau as regards to how it can be done and how we can assist them to that point. An overall plan and concept is going to be put in place but in the meantime, I believe that the Premier is prepared to move along with those applications that are in already to try to get them out quickly and then to come up with a policy that is a lot quicker and less cumbersome.”

Fifth District representative Delores Christopher added that the type of business to be operated and location would be important to the processing of the trade license. “Questions might be raised along that but generally speaking the aim is to speed up the process and to make it much faster and easier for people to obtain their licenses to get on with their business.”