The Department of Trade and Industry has warned traders of a liquor licensing scam in the Pretoria area.
|||Johannesburg - A liquor licensing scam is operating in the Pretoria area, the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) warned on Wednesday.
Applicants who went to see consultants were promised registration certificates within two days or a week after paying a huge amount of cash, spokesperson Sidwell Medupe said.
“The consultants would, however, provide the prospective registrant with a fraudulent registration certificate.”
He said there were standard fees for applications and the minimum waiting period to receive a registration was 120 working days.
“Legitimate registration certificates issued by the dti's national liquor authority have security features and are easily identifiable.”
If an applicant had used the services of a consultant, he or she was expected to be in possession of the original copy of the registration certificate. Registration forms and a fee structure were available on the dti's website.
Applicants could also call 0861-843-384 for help and more information.
Traders in doubt about the validity of their certificates were urged to contact the national liquor authority on 012-394-1654. - Sapa