GAM amendments make it easier to apply for home business licence

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has amended the regulations on issuing home-based business licences, which are part of a project that allows people to work officially from home with reduced costs and simplified measures. 

Ali Hadidi, the director of GAM’s professional licences and promotions department, said the amendments were made in response to recommendations from the Economic Policies Council, according to a statement GAM sent to The Jordan Times on Wednesday. 

The amendments increased the total number of professions that can be practised at home from 47 to 71, and now also allow those who obtain the home-based business licence to hire one employee. 

Also under the amendments, measures will be taken to exempt home-based businesses from waste and promotion fees, according to the statement, which added that the amendments also reduce the registration fees range from JD30-200 to JD20-50. 

GAM has already granted area directors the authority to issue the professional home-based business licences without having to refer to local and district committees, in addition to giving the licence issuance priority, finishing the process in three days only from the application date, which are all part of the simplified measures. 

The project and regulations of the licence aim at legitimising home businesses, which in turn provide young people, graduates, homemakers, unemployed people and people with disabilities the chance to work from home, especially when their conditions prevent them from working outside. 

The regulations stipulate that only 15 per cent of the house's total space can be used for the business, but no more than 25 metres and only in the interior space, not extending outside the house's walls. 

Use of tools or equipment that cause vibrations and noise, strong light, smoke, dust, pungent smells or an electric or magnetic field that could affect neighbours, are all prohibited. 

Also under the regulations, the products should not bring any negative effect on public health or use any drugs, flammable, explosive, radioactive or poisonous materials, in addition to not violating the area's infrastructure designated for electricity cables or sewage in a harmful way. 

The person who is going to run the business is the one who should apply for the licence, and the conditions allow GAM employees to inspect the houses just the same as when inspecting a newly registered shop. 

Home businesses have been categorised into four areas: intellectual (49 professions), handicrafts (10 professions), food making (6 professions) and house services (6 professions). 

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply has issued a guidebook on the businesses that can be practised at home and their specific conditions in cooperation with GAM and the Ministry of Local Administration, in addition to the USAID, according to the statement. 

The ministry has the guidebook on its website and GAM also has a special field on its website with details on the fees to register each profession included in the guidebook.