Businesses urged to take advantage of penalty waiver period

The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (Bipa) is calling on businesses to take advantage of its penalty waiver programme before it ends.

Bipa spokesperson Ockert Jansen says the annual penalty waiver programme has been extended to 30 June.

He said this during an information-sharing session in Windhoek on Tuesday.

The programme was implemented last year.

Jansen said businesses are legally required to submit annual returns that inform Bipa of their operation in a timely manner, along with an annual payment of N$120.

He said the untimely filing of annual returns leads to penalties which Bipa is waiving under the annual penalty waiver programme.

The programme was created to alleviate the financial burden of businesses which are not aware of penalties and annual duties.

Jansen said the first phase of the programme ended on 31 March, but was extended to 30 June due to businesses not having enough time and money to register for the programme.

He said Bipa went to all 14 regions of Namibia to inform businesses of the waiver programme, the authority’s services, and to bring them closer to business located far from Bipa’s Windhoek and Walvis Bay offices.

Jansen implored businesses which have missed officials visiting the regions to hand in their completed documents through family members in Windhoek or by sending them through NamPost.

“There is still time in this week to send these documents on condition that they are properly completed.”

Jansen said there would not be another extension.