Covid-19: CIPC Certificate: Not a license to trade

COVID-19

CIPC CERTIFICATE: NOT A LICENSE TO TRADE

Dear employer

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has issued a statement condemning employers who are not involved in essential services, as per the regulations, but have registered on the BIZPORTAL website and obtained a certificate.

These employers should note that the certificate in itself is not a license to continue trading. Only employers who are designated as essential services in the regulations may continue trading.

Employers who fraudulently or negligently registered themselves as an essential service, in order to obtain a certificate and continue with operations, have not only committed fraud but are also in contravention of the regulations. These actions constitute criminal offences which carry a penalty of either a fine or imprisonment.

Employers who have made themselves guilty of this conduct are advised to immediately desist in order to avoid criminal prosecution.

ESSENTIAL SERVICES: TRANSPORT OF EMPLOYEES

As per our previous communique, essential services employers may arrange for transport of their employees in accordance with their shift patterns or working hours.

Such time sheet or shift roster must be stamped and signed by an authorised person. There does not seem to be a limitation on the number of employees that may be transported, subject to the maximum licensed passenger capacity of the vehicle.

Regards

We are all in this together.
Privileged and challenged to be South African.