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President Cyril Ramaphosa’s risk-adjusted strategy to ease the current lockdown restrictions has allowed some industries, previously locked down, to resume operations alongside a reclassification of ‘essential goods’ under alert level 4.

There are strict guidelines in place to ensure that your business is up to code with the new health and safety regulations in place to prevent the spread of the virus.

Employers not complying with these regulations could find themselves closed for business again, so make sure you’re caught up on everything that you need to know.

Before you can prepare your business to reopen, however, you’ll need to apply for a certificate.

Until now, this process has been a bit confusing. Visit the new guidelines on the official government website and you’ll have to jump through hoops before you find out (if you find out) how to obtain a certificate that will allow you to get things up and running again.

BusinessTech contacted The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) to gain some clarity on the situation:

Under level 5, companies had to register by going to BizPortal to obtain ‘essential service’ status. The same is true for alert level 4.

BizPortal has been updated to reflect the new regulations under alert level 4, and the registration process is the same as it was under alert level 5.

Here’s what you need to know about obtaining a certificate:

• The responsibility lies with the employer to ensure that their company is compliant
• Alert level 4 certificates are different from alert level 5 certificates, so make sure that you have the correct documentation to continue operations.
• A company has to be registered in terms of the Companies Act.
• Essential service providers (healthcare professionals, essential goods and services mandated under alert level 5) alongside sole proprietors selling essential items such as those who own small spaza shops, or small scale farmers will not register through BizPortal, but must still comply with lockdown regulations.
• If a company produces a certificate that has not been issued by the CIPC, it will face criminal charges.

To recap, go to BizPortal to obtain your essential services certificate under alert level 4.

Good luck.

[source:businesstech]