Tallinn changes requirements for organizing trade in the city
Tallinn City Council decided at today's meeting to change the current trade organization - the trade organization requirements will change for all city authorities and the bodies they manage, including Tallinn’s public markets. A new application for the processing of sales permits will also be created.
"The city needs to be a good partner in organizing trade. To this end, it is important that the whole city system is based on similar principles and that processes are clear and understandable. I believe that the new procedure will make it easier and more convenient for street traders to deal with the city," added Vimm.
A new application called AKIS has been developed to process sales permits, which will be used to apply for and obtain or not obtain a sales permit. The aim is to modernize the procedure and make it more operational. The current trading permit information system is outdated both in terms of content and IT and does not allow for digital signature and processing of documents.
It will also be possible to delegate the decision to grant, refuse or withdraw a marketing authorisation to an official of the authority. Previously, this was only possible for districts by order of the District Governor.
Similar to the current regime, the obligation to issue a sales permit is maintained and the possibility to carry out short-term street trading on the basis of a sales permit is introduced, involving the sale of goods or services for up to two days in a month. The sales permit issued will replace the contract for the use of urban facilities for commercial activities in the case of 'long-term' street trading. It creates the possibility to impose conditions on short-term traders, gives an overview of the traders and makes it possible to limit their number.
The market operator may establish trading procedures on the market that traders and dealers are obliged to follow. For example, it may include an obligation to design and furnish the sales area in accordance with safety guidelines and to prevent occupational accidents and injuries, a requirement to keep the goods within the boundaries of the sales area and to use only certain types of scales for weighing food products.
Short-term traders may also be required to clear the area of goods and fixtures at the end of the day. Given that trading conditions may vary across the market's sales area and may change over time, it is not reasonable to impose trading conditions in a regulation. Internal rules of procedure have also been established for trading in Tallinn markets.
As in the past, local governments will continue to be responsible for carrying trade. If the city district government deems it necessary to further regulate the activities of street traders (for example, in the Old Town or on a public beach), it will determine the conditions and number of licenses to be issued for street trading in a given area and will set up a committee to examine applications.