By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

LIQUOR store owners are angry at having to pay a $100 registration fee as a crackdown on their over-saturation in the country - effective September 1- is enforced.

Having to pay for a business license already, many bar owners are unhappy with having to pay an additional $100 for registration upon business license renewals or while trying to obtain a business license for the first time. 

Daryle Isaacs owner of Lumpy’s Bar & Grill noted the many other bills entrepreneurs are faced with.

“It’s kind of crazy, he said. “I think it’s almost like you’re trying to tax the small man, straight out of business. They’re always looking for a way to suppress the small man, so to speak. How many taxes can we continue to pay and stay in business? We’re providing a number of jobs, paying National Insurance. How many other taxes can we handle? The cost of BPL is already high. You have Inland Revenue to deal with already. Additional funding on that is just crazy. It’s tough enough as it is trying to make it.”

Marla Fleurigene owner of Lil Moe’s, said while she doesn’t care for the added expense, she’ll have to bite the bullet and pay the fee to allow business to continue to run as normal.

“Man, if they implement it and it has to be put forth, then we have no problem with doing that as long as the business continue to run,” she said. “At the end of the day, it is what it is and you only can do what they say, At the end of the day, because if you don’t do it, it’s a problem.”

As the proximity of liquor stores to schools and churches and the suitability of the premises will be taken into consideration when approving new applications and renewals, new applicants are to register through the portal 90 days prior to applying for a business licence. Those looking to renew their license must also register through the portal which will become available on the Department of Inland Revenue’s website September 1.

Shunda Strachan, DIR’s acting comptroller, noted that noise pollution that sometimes accompanies bars and liquor stores within neighborhoods is another rising concern. She noted that the “suitability” of a bar or liquor store’s premises will be considered when a company registers and applies for their business license. 

While this may cause issues or a shut-down of established liquor businesses, co-owners of Moxo’s Wholesale Bar and Grill, Jerome Moxey and Shanika Hepburn say their business which has been in operation for over 20 years would be in the clear. However, they do not agree that those who have already been issued licenses should lose it

“I have no problem with them implementing these things, and at the end of the day, I think our establishment will be cleared,” Mr Moxey said. “We haven’t done anything wrong. We’ve been in the law from the inception.

“I don’t have a problem with it. However, I don’t think licenses should be pulled from people after they are issued. It shouldn’t be taken away from them, because at the end of the day, whoever issued the license, the department that issued a license to those persons, they’re responsible for them being there to operate. Now, if they operate illegally or something like that, so be it. But moving forward, don’t issue no more licenses.”

Ms Hepburn added: “I feel firstly, how they want to bring that on stream that [should be the case] moving forward, like, if anybody wants a new liquor license. The ones that have already been established, I don’t think that should come before them.”

Mr Isaacs called for a leveled playing field for businesses, particularly, bars and liquor stores and residents. He said while he’s allowed to operate until 2am, music played at typically louder levels must be reduced by a certain time. He argued that the same rules do not apply to residents.

“I don’t have a problem with them enforcing the rules,” he said. “The only problem I have is, I’m paying a lot more property taxes than the person next door, and they can play their music up until 12 o’clock, but I’m not even allowed to play music at a reasonable length to attract customers, so I can maintain paying the people that I employ. They can have a party up until 12 o’clock, right next door, and you can’t say anything about it, but yet they want to come and enforce a rule. I think the rules should be equal on both boundaries. The playing field should be even. If they can play music for a party next door, I should be able to play a little music to attract a crowd, because I’m paying people, trying to make sure other people eat, not just myself. So it’s not like it’s just a one man place.”