The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has announced the launch of an electronic service for the licensing, management and operation of bakeries.
The service, which is accessible through the Ministry’s website, enables applicants to issue new bakery licences, amend and renew existing licences, temporarily suspend a licence, and reactivate and cancel a bakery licence.
Applicants can also apply for an increase in their monthly flour quota, request flour delivery and seek approval for the distribution of subsidised flour; a service reserved for owners of bakeries producing Arabic and local (baladi) bread.
According to the new electronic system, the submission of applications and their review is conducted electronically to ensure service quality and the timely completion of applications. The system will enable bakery owners to easily complete the procedures without visiting the Ministry, and will save clients time and efforts.
The service is available at MEC website //services.mec.gov.qa. To issue a bakery licence for companies with an active commercial registration and a bakery facility licence at a sub-location, the user must submit an application for the issuance of a licence, including data relating to the bakery and required documents. Once the application is submitted, it is reviewed by the competent authority at the Ministry, which dispatches inspectors to examine the bakery site. After that, the department’s director gives the approval. Once all fees are paid, the licence is printed.
As for the amendment of the bakery’s site or trade name, it takes place automatically when amending the commercial register or commercial licence. In this case, the user should submit a request to amend the bakery’s licence, specify the nature of the requested amendment, identify the applicant and select the licence that will be amended. The applicant should then submit the new data and upload the required documents. Once the application is submitted, it is reviewed by the competent authority before the amended licence is printed.
Other services that are available online in this regard include application to renew a bakery’s licence, application to temporarily suspend a bakery’s licence, application to reactivate a bakery’s licence, application to cancel a bakery’s licence, permission to dispense subsidised flour, application to increase monthly flour quota, and application to deliver flour.
MEC has given directives on how to conduct each of such services detailing the necessary procedures for application online.
MEC has launched many smart electronic services designed to significantly improve the quality of services offered to clients, including consumers, investors and members of the public with an interest in economic affairs. These include: the issuance and renewal of commercial licences and extract services; searching for a commercial name; searching for trade names and finding information about companies and commercial records; and other administrative services that enable business owners to easily manage and operate their businesses.