Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Desmond McKenzie, says that just over $3 million in outstanding trading fees were collected in four days last week following Monday's start of his drive to regularise trading in the Corporate Area.

He said that traders are required to pay between $1,000 and $5,000 in fees to the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC) by March 31 each year. But only 10 per cent of an estimated 15,000 traders, including wholesalers and retailers, were paying.

The total amount collected by the Inland Revenue Department for May 2007 was $489,080, but in four days last week, May 5-8, after his initiative started, the department collected $3.1 million. For all of 2007/2008, inland revenue had only collected $3.3 million from the traders.

"So, three days' collection in this exercise is equal to one year's collection. What that is telling us is that people know exactly what is to be done, but many people have no respect whatsoever for the law," Mayor McKenzie commented.

He said that if the traders continue to ignore the KSAC, the Corporation will continue to focus attention on them.

The drive, he explained, will take on added dimensions today, when the team is strengthened and a greater effort made to serve notices, as well as to find ways to close those businesses which continue to breach the laws.

"What we have seen over the last few days is very, very frightening," Mayor McKenzie said in reference to the operation which involved a team from the KSAC as well as representatives of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the Inland Revenue Department, the Public Health Authority, the National Solid Waste Management Authority and the Ministry of Health and the Environment.

They have so far visited 119 trading establishments in Downtown Kingston, covering Beckford, King, Orange, Princess and Tower streets over two-and-a-half days. The next area of focus will be Cross Roads.

Mayor McKenzie said that in terms of labour-related issues, his team found a "frightening situation", including persons earning below the national minimum wage and not being allowed benefits under the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act (LRIDA).

He said that there were also breaches of the immigration laws, as well as the public health and solid waste laws.
"While we appreciate the effort to provide jobs, we cannot support, in modern Jamaica, slave labour, where people work and are not getting the benefits they are entitled to," he said.

In a municipal notification published on April 30, the KSAC advised that effective May 5, 2008 the team would be inspecting business places in Kingston and St Andrew to ensure compliance with the Licences on Trade and Business Act 1989.

Under the Act, every person carrying on a trade or business as wholesaler or retailer should acquire a Trade Licence from the Inland Revenue Department. All licences expire on the March 31 each year, and are renewable on April 1. Failure to comply can result in prosecution and/or levy on goods held by the business.

According to the town clerk, Errol Greene, compliance under the Act has been "woefully" low over the years. Efforts are being made to collect revenues owed from as far back as 2002.

Under the Act, a retailer is any person occupying a store, shop, room or bed stand, who buys from a merchant, importer or otherwise, or who himself imports and sells in small quantities by retail to those who re-sell, use, or consume the goods. A "wholesale dealer" means any person who sells by wholesale or by both wholesale and retail on the same premises.

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