St. Mary Parish Council to Earn More Revenue

The revenue earning capacity of the St. Mary Parish Council is expected to increase significantly, with the recent introduction of new regulations relating to the licensing fees paid by some service operators in that parish, including barbers, hairdressers and beauty therapists.
Secretary/Manager of the St. Mary Parish Council, Sheldon Peart told JIS News that the regulations came into effect in May of last year, and were implemented in St. Mary in September.
He noted that the regulations have also been implemented in other parishes to allow for uniformity in respect of the licensing fees paid by barbers, adding that this was not the case formerly, as not all parishes made it obligatory for such fees to be paid for that service.
Under the new regulations, barbers are now required to pay a personal licence fee of $2,500 annually, down from the $4,000 they were required to pay previously. They are also required to pay an additional $3,500 annually as licence for the barber shops they operate.
Hairdressers are required to pay a personal licence fee of $3,000 annually, while beauty therapists will pay $3,500 annually for their personal licence and $4,000 as licence for the premises in which they operate.
In addition, each of these operators will be required to acquire a health certificate and pay an extra $500 as licence for each trainee they engage in the service they offer.
Mr. Peart said the increased revenue to be earned from the new regulations would go a far way in enabling the Council to improve the service being offered to the people of the parish.
He said the Council was making every effort to ensure that the operators were fully sensitised about the necessity for introducing the regulations, as well as the importance of meeting their obligations in the effort to effect sustainable development in the communities.
Mr. Peart pointed out that the Council has already sponsored a seminar in Port Maria as part of its public education strategy to sensitise the barbers, hairdressers and beauty therapists about the regulations and their responsibilities, and that similar events would be held in other communities of the parish.