Food Department goes after licence evaders
City District Government Lahore expects to generate Rs50 million in 2011 against licence fees.
LAHORE:
The City District Government Lahore (CDGL) food department is expected to generate Rs50 million in 2011 against licence fees, The Express Tribune has learnt.
“We are in the process of collecting data on factories, restaurants, bakeries and shops throughout the city,” said chief food inspector Chaudhry Ayub, adding that those found operating without licences will be forced to either pay up or shut down.
He was hopeful this would mean increased revenue. Ayub said that there was a focus on Ferozepur Road since it had been declared a model road. “Close to 80 per cent of restaurants on Ferozepur Road are operating with proper licences,” he said. Notices of corrective measures, he added, have been sent to all shops, hotels, restaurants and marriage halls on Ferozepur Road. The increase of the license fee from Rs25 to up to Rs50,000 meant that many businesses were not ready to pay up, Ayub said.
The food licences are now issued in three categories. The category A license fee, Rs1,000, is applicable to wholesale dealers of margarine, banaspati oil, fat spreads, animal fat, ghee, fish oil, edible oils, spices, confectionary, cereal products, soft drinks, aerated water and cold storage.
The licence fee for category B is Rs10,000. It is applicable to creameries, dairies, dairy farms, bakeries, hotels and other small scale food manufacturing units.
Category C demands a Rs50,000 licence fee. Premises for the manufacturing of UHT pasteurised milk, condensed milk powder, evaporated milk, cheese and any other milk products, edible oils, margarine and banaspati, biscuits, canned foods, alcoholic drinks and beverages, bottling factories, sugar factories, cereal products, natural mineral water and bottled drinking water fall in this category.
Ayub said his inspectors were very busy. “Today we focused on milk dealers who come to Lahore from surrounding villages,” he said. He added that they had checked 120 milkmen and taken 154 tests.
To a question, Ayub said that they were not focusing on cancellation of the licences of low quality bakeries and factories considering all licences would be automatically suspended on January 1.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2010.
The City District Government Lahore (CDGL) food department is expected to generate Rs50 million in 2011 against licence fees, The Express Tribune has learnt.
“We are in the process of collecting data on factories, restaurants, bakeries and shops throughout the city,” said chief food inspector Chaudhry Ayub, adding that those found operating without licences will be forced to either pay up or shut down.
He was hopeful this would mean increased revenue. Ayub said that there was a focus on Ferozepur Road since it had been declared a model road. “Close to 80 per cent of restaurants on Ferozepur Road are operating with proper licences,” he said. Notices of corrective measures, he added, have been sent to all shops, hotels, restaurants and marriage halls on Ferozepur Road. The increase of the license fee from Rs25 to up to Rs50,000 meant that many businesses were not ready to pay up, Ayub said.
The food licences are now issued in three categories. The category A license fee, Rs1,000, is applicable to wholesale dealers of margarine, banaspati oil, fat spreads, animal fat, ghee, fish oil, edible oils, spices, confectionary, cereal products, soft drinks, aerated water and cold storage.
The licence fee for category B is Rs10,000. It is applicable to creameries, dairies, dairy farms, bakeries, hotels and other small scale food manufacturing units.
Category C demands a Rs50,000 licence fee. Premises for the manufacturing of UHT pasteurised milk, condensed milk powder, evaporated milk, cheese and any other milk products, edible oils, margarine and banaspati, biscuits, canned foods, alcoholic drinks and beverages, bottling factories, sugar factories, cereal products, natural mineral water and bottled drinking water fall in this category.
Ayub said his inspectors were very busy. “Today we focused on milk dealers who come to Lahore from surrounding villages,” he said. He added that they had checked 120 milkmen and taken 154 tests.
To a question, Ayub said that they were not focusing on cancellation of the licences of low quality bakeries and factories considering all licences would be automatically suspended on January 1.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2010.