A business License fee for SMEs largely depends on two factors, firstly the nature of the business and secondly the locality of the business. A business operating in the rural areas or town boundaries is expected to pay less compared to the one that operates in an urban centre. In the table below we compare a few common MSME businesses that exist in both urban and rural and compare their license fees:
Types of Business Licences and Fees for SMEs (Suva, Rakiraki & Kadavu)
| Location | Bakery | Canteen/Retail | Hawkers (Vehicle) | Tailor |
| Suva | $460.35 | $345.26 | $92.07/($230.17) | $184.14 |
| Ra | $44.00 | $66.00 | $22.00 | $44.00 |
| Kadavu | $44.00 | $66.00 | $22.00 | $44.00 |
| [Source: Suva City Council Business License Types & Charges schedule & the new Government rates for business license effective from 01st April 2005]. | ||||
The table above clearly shows the high cost of business license fee that MSMEs operating in urban centres pays as compared to those that operate in rural and peri-urban areas. The high costs can be an obstacle to potential MSME’s thinking of setting up their operation in urban and rural centres as well.
