Pb ministers to recommend proportionate license fee waiver for bars

A group of Punjab ministers has decided to recommend Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to grant a proportionate waiver in the annual license fee to bars and exempt them from paying it for the April to September 2020.

A group of Punjab ministers has decided to recommend Chief Minister Amarinder Singh to grant a proportionate waiver in the annual license fee to bars and exempt them from paying it for the April to September 2020. The move was initiated because of the losses suffered by bars due to the COVID pandemic, a government release said.

Similarly, the group of ministers decided to suggest to the chief minister to exempt the bars from paying the quarterly assessed fee for the first two quarters, April-June and July-September, 2020, the release added. The group took the decision after a meeting with representatives of the Hotel & Bar Associations and Marriage Palace Associations here on Monday, it said.

The associations made their representation to the group, comprising Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, Housing & Urban Development Minister Sukhbinder Sarkaria and Forests and Printing & Stationery Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the hotels, restaurants and marriage palaces were suffering heavy losses. After hearing their grievances, the ministers decided to make the recommendation for a proportionate waiver in the annual license fee to the CM.