HIDE AND SKIN TRADE

CHAPTER 50:02
HIDE AND SKIN TRADE

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
SHORT TITLE, APPLICATION AND INTERPRETATION

    1.    Short title and application

    2.    Interpretation

PART II
BUYER’S LICENCE

    3.    Restriction on purchase of hides and skins

    4.    Application for, issue of and validity of buyer’s licence

    5.    Conditions attached to buyer’s licence

    6.    Cancellation or suspension of buyer’s licence

PART III
EXPORT OF HIDES AND SKINS

    7.    Restriction on export of hides and skins

    8.    Export under licence

    9.    Application for, issue of, power to refuse and validity of exporter’s licence

    10.    Conditions attached to exporter’s licence

    11.    Cancellation or suspension of exporter’s licence

    12.    Proviso

PART IV
REGISTRATION OF PREMISES

    13.    Premises used for drying to be registered

    14.    Validity of registration certificate

PART V
APPEALS

    15.    Appeal from decision of licensing officer or inspector and of Director

PART VI
POWERS OF INSPECTION, SEARCH AND SEIZURE

    16.    Powers of inspection, search and seizure

PART VII
MISCELLANEOUS

    17.    Separate licence required for each premises

    18.    Reference of dispute as to grading

PART VIII
OFFENCES

    19.    Licensee not to store hides and skins on unlicensed premises

    20.    Offence to buy, etc., certain dried hides

    21.    Miscellaneous offences and penalty

PART IX
RULES

    22.    Power to make Rules

23 of 1954
1 of 1963
G.N. 22/1963
1/1965
166/1967
Gen. N. 16/1970

    An Act to provide for the regulation of the trade in hides and skins

PART I
SHORT TITLE, APPLICATION AND INTERPRETATION

1.    Short title and application

    (1) This Act may be cited as the Hide and Skin Trade Act.

    (2) So much of the provisions of this Act as relate to dealing in hides and skins and to licences authorizing such dealing shall extend only to such areas and such classes of hides and skins as the Minister may from time to time, by notice published in the Gazette, appoint.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    “buyer” means any person who buys, sells or otherwise deals in hides and skins;

    “buyer’s licence” means a licence issued under section 4;

    “Director” means the Director of Animal Health and Industry and includes the Deputy Director of Animal Health and Industry;

    “export” means export from Malawi;

    “exporter” means any person duly authorized under this Act to export hides or skins or hides and skins;

    “exporter’s licence” means a licence issued under section 9;

    “game animal” bears the same meaning in this Act as it bears in the Game Act;

    “green hide” or “green skin” means a hide or skin which is not partly nor wholly dried, salted or tanned;

    “hide” means the hide of a bovine animal;

    “inspector” means any person authorized in writing by the Minister to act as an inspector for the purposes of this Act;

    “licensing officer” means any person authorized in writing by the Minister to issue buyer’s licences under this Act;

    “preparation” includes the processes of cleansing, fleshing, salting or drying and the expressions “prepared” and “prepare” shall be construed accordingly;

    “skin” means the skin of a pig, sheep or goat or of any game animal.

PART II
BUYER’S LICENCE

3.    Restriction on purchase of hides and skins

    (1) No person shall, whether on his own account or on behalf of any other person, buy for the purpose of resale or tanning in Malawi, or for export, any hide or skin unless he is in possession of a valid buyer’s licence in the prescribed form issued to him by a licensing officer:

    Provided that the Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, exempt any person or class of persons from this section.

    (2) Any person who contravenes this section shall be guilty of an offence.

4.    Application for, issue of and validity of buyer’s licence

    (1) Any person who wishes to obtain or renew a buyer’s licence shall apply therefor, in the prescribed manner, to a licensing officer.

    (2) The licensing officer may, upon receiving any such application, if he is satisfied that the applicant possesses a sufficient knowledge of the hide and skin trade and is capable of complying with the prescribed conditions, issue the applicant with a buyer’s licence or a renewal thereof on payment of the prescribed fee. Every such licence shall specify the premises, the area and the markets to which it relates and shall be valid only in respect of such premises, area and markets.

    (3) A licensing officer shall not issue a buyer’s licence unless—

    (a)    an inspector has certified that the premises in respect of which an applicant has applied for such licence are suitable, having regard to the volume and nature…