During the last few years, many have taken to running home-based catering businesses. Many people cook, bake and prepare different food items and sell it to people. Maha is a 35-year- old Kuwaiti wife and employer who started her business about four months ago.

She currently sells only two kinds of food items – stuffed onions and vine leaves. “I sell the plate for KD 7, and the quantity is substantial. I sell at a cheaper rate than a restaurant, and is cleaner, as I supervise it myself at home. Customers have to call me a day in advance to prepare their order for the next day,” she told the Kuwait Times.

“I began this as a hobby, and then I turned it into business, as my husband encouraged me. Now I prepare the food and my husband delivers it. I do most of the work, and the maid helps me sometimes.

I only sell this food to relatives and friends. Maybe in the future, I will expand my business to new customers. I have never heard of having to obtain license for conducting any home-based activity. No one I know who is into this business possess a license,” she added.

Expatriates are active in this business. Umm Ahmad is an Egyptian citizen entered the field more than three years. “If my business was not successful, I would not continue in it for more than three years.

Nobody ever asked me to produce a license, as people have tried my cooking and trust me. My reputation is testimony to the quality of my products,” said Umm Ahmad who specializes in selling appetizers.

These businesses are considered illegal as no licenses are obtained from the Municipality or the Ministry of Commerce. The Municipality is responsible for checking the safety and cleanliness of food in restaurants.

There is no authority that checks on this. A source from the PR and Municipality noted that the Municipality warns people against selling homemade food products. “The inspectors from Municipality can go to any house that sells such unlicensed products and may even disrupt power supply to the homes.

Inspectors enter homes after obtaining a warrant from the Public Prosecution Department, which may take a day or two. A new proposal is being discussed which will allow the them to enter homes without it,” he pointed out.

He said that inspectors from Asima governorate of Municipality have cut off electricity supply in Dahiyat Abdulah Al-Salem for holding unlicensed exhibitions. “They first issued a three day notice, when they failed comply, electricity was cut off. The inspectors usually act upon a complaint made by neighbors, and people can always complain to the nearest Municipality.

“In fact we have violations committed by people from different nationalities. We also detained a bus that was delivering about 700 meals made by an unlicensed kitchen, so we confiscated it,” stressed the source. The rules apply to those promoting food stuff or other products at malls. According to the source, only products from a licensed food company can be sold.