Tobacco registration renewals approaching

Licensed tobacco dealers in the Cayman Islands have until Tuesday, 1 November, to renew their registration to sell the product in 2012.

Annual renewal fees are $500 for a retailer; $750 for a cigar bar and $5,000 for a wholesale distributor or importer.

Applications submitted after 1 November will draw late fees. If no application is received by 31 January, a dealer will forfeit its licence for 12 months before submitting a new application.

“Everyone dealing with tobacco must register annually and display the Certificate of Registration,” said Dr. Kiran Kumar, Medical Officer of Health.

The documents needed for renewal of registration include a renewal application form; a current Trade and Business License Certificate; and, if there were any changes in dealership since the last registration, such as contact information, location, ownership or trade of products, an application for registration as a tobacco dealer.

Applications submitted after 1 November, but before 31 December will bring a penalty of an extra 50 per cent of the registration cost. Applications submitted between 1 and 31 January will draw a late fee of 100 per cent the registration cost.

Last year, the Cayman Islands government registered 138 tobacco dealers.

“Business owners have been very accommodating of the changes and we hope to see this trend continue,” said Mark Scotland, Minister of Health. “If anyone has any doubts about the legislation, or if anyone is still selling tobacco products without a registration certificate, please contact the Public Health Department to avoid prosecution.”