KMC extends business license renewal deadline by one month

Kolhapur: The standing committee of the municipal corporation has approved a one-month extension for the renewal of business licenses without any late fee, providing relief to thousands of traders. The move follows a demand by the Kolhapur chamber of commerce, which said the short renewal window made it difficult for nearly 11,000 to 12,000 license holders to complete the process on time.KMC issues business license renewals annually between April 1 and April 30. However, traders reported multiple issues with the online system, including incorrect arrears being displayed despite payments already being made. Complaints were also raised about incorrect fire tax charges in some cases, attributed to the merger of the licensing and fire departments.A KMC license department official, requesting anonymity, said, "KMC commissioner Rajendra Bharud took note of these matters and had directed the proposal for extension to be presented before the standing committee. Accordingly, after the discussion, it was decided to give a one-month extension without a late renewal fee".Kolhapur chamber of commerce president Sanjay Shete welcomed the decision but urged a longer relief period, saying, "The extension should be given till July 31 until the errors in the system are completely eliminated. It's an appeal to all the license holders to complete the process only after ensuring that the arrears are recorded correctly in the system".