We are a seasonal retailer of pyrotechnics. We have 6 stand-alone stores - containers placed in shopping centre car parks, where we sell only in December. Each time we set up a container, we apply to the Administrative Unit for a licence to carry out the activity of retail sale of pyrotechnic articles. Same procedure every year. Application 60 days before the planned installation (in case the Administrative Unit says it is a difficult procedure and they have to take 60 days to think it over), payment of the fee, photocopying of all the documents... On 1 December, the installation of the shops is followed by a request to the Administrative Unit to put the shop up and to issue the licence as soon as possible. A story that has been repeating itself for 5 years.
 
The height of absurdity was last year, when we set up shop in Novo mesto on 15 December. It was the first time we had set up a shop, so the Administrative Unit inspected the shop and issued a permit. On 21 December, an inspector of the Market Inspectorate Brežice Novo mesto carried out an inspection and wrote an infringement decision No 7100-90/2013-8-34008, as we allegedly carried out retail sales without a permit from the competent authority. We had the permit or decision, but it was not yet final. The decision only became final on 5 January 2013 (15 days after it was issued) and only then could we start selling. But we had already removed the shop before the final date, as we are only selling until 31.12.! Fine: €3,000 for a legal person and €400 for a responsible person. Inspector's advice: set up shop as early as 1 November and you have enough time to obtain the final permits. This is a sign of the state authorities making a mockery of the economy and an alarm that this nonsensical provision should be deleted immediately!
 
We cannot set up shop one month earlier, because we pay rent for every day we set up shop. Unless the legislation is changed, the issuing of repeated permits each time is pointless and an unnecessary expense for both the administrative authority and the economy. And instead of working on new programmes and recruiting new staff as a company director, I am already shaking today wondering what new rules the legislator will come up with to make it as difficult as possible for us to do our job. After all, 12 people get a job in these six shops.