Kuwait Municipality Urges Businesses to Follow Licensing Rules
Awareness campaign highlights legal compliance, penalties, and the need for municipal approval before operating.
Kuwait Municipality on Thursday called on business owners to follow licensing rules for commercial activities, saying compliance with municipal bylaws protects investments, supports business continuity and helps avoid violations that may lead to heavy fines and closure. Director of the Municipality’s Audit and Service Monitoring Department Abdullah Al-Ajmi said the Municipality recently launched an awareness campaign called “License Your Business... Your Steps Are Right” to encourage businesses to meet licensing requirements and follow municipal regulations.
Speaking to KUNA, Al-Ajmi said the campaign aims to help owners of commercial, professional, craft and industrial businesses obtain and renew the licenses needed to operate legally. He said it also seeks to build awareness about the importance of proper licensing and the risks of ignoring municipal rules.
The campaign covers all activities operating in commercial, investment and industrial complexes that need prior approval from the Municipality. Awareness messages have been shared through the Municipality’s social media platforms to inform business owners about licensing requirements, common violations and the penalties for non-compliance. Al-Ajmi said the campaign also explains why municipal approvals must be obtained before starting operations and outlines the fines linked to different violations.
He identified three main licensing violations. The first is opening or operating a business without a municipal license or approval, which carries a fine of KD 4,000 to KD 5,000, along with closure of the establishment. The second is expanding business premises or making changes without prior municipal approval, which carries a fine of KD 1,000 to KD 5,000, plus closure. The third is adding or carrying out an unlicensed commercial activity without municipal approval, which carries a fine of KD 500 to KD 1,000, in addition to closure of the establishment. — KUNA
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