Municipality Aligns with Transition to International Standard Industrial Classification
Abdulaziz Al-Rashidi, head of the Engineering Licenses Department at the Capital Municipality, told KUNA on Thursday that Kuwait has worked to localize activities in accordance with the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC Rev. 4), the reference guide issued by the United Nations, which aims to standardize the description and coding of economic and productive activities across countries.
Al-Rashidi added that the campaign “License Your Activity… Take the Right Steps,” recently launched by the municipality, is part of awareness efforts aimed at strengthening business owners’ compliance with municipal regulations and bylaws, helping to rectify the status of certain existing activities, and educating business owners and investors wishing to establish new activities on selecting the appropriate activity that matches the nature of their work.
He noted the municipality’s commitment, through these awareness campaigns, to providing information and answering inquiries from business owners, based on the importance of prior knowledge of the systems, regulations, and requirements governing activities, as these are among the most important factors contributing to the protection of investment and the sustainability and stability of activities.
He emphasized the importance of prior consultation before starting a project, as there are several activities that cannot be licensed in specific locations or zones. Additionally, some activities are subject to requirements related to their location within a building, including the prohibition of licensing certain activities on the first floor.
Al-Rashidi stressed the importance of verifying in advance whether an activity is suitable for the site and complies with the governing requirements, which helps avoid costs or burdens that could have been prevented before starting the project.
He called on business owners to take advantage of these services and consultations, and to submit documents and data related to the activity to obtain the necessary information and guidance before initiating licensing procedures.
He explained that adhering to the correct classification of the activity and meeting the governing requirements from the outset is a fundamental step toward conducting the activity legally and properly, contributing to the protection of the business owner and their investment, and supporting the municipality’s efforts to regulate activities and achieve a more stable and sustainable economic and commercial environment.
For her part, Engineer Abeer Al-Aradi, head of the Engineering Licenses Department at Al-Farwaniya Municipality, stated that the “License Your Activity… Take the Right Steps” campaign raises awareness about three specific commercial license violations: opening or operating a shop without a license; adding unlicensed space or modifying the shop’s status without municipal approval; and adding or conducting an unlicensed activity without municipal approval.
She emphasized the importance of requesting a modification building permit and adding an activity to the commercial license if additional space is added to the shop or a new activity is introduced, affirming that the shop license is the legal entity for commercial activities.
