ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/24 January) – The city government collected P4.78 million more in taxes in the first 20 days of this year compared to the same period in 2013.
Officials credited the increase to the cutting down of the process for business permit renewal from five to three steps.
Benjie Barredo, head of the city’s Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), said the business tax collection from January 1 to 20 this year reached P66.898 million.
The collection for the same period last year was P62.112 million.
Barredo said that from January 1-20, they were also able to process 5,485 business permits including 349 new applications.
He said this is higher by 117 compared to the 5,368 business permits with 279 new applications processed for the first 20 days in January of 2013.
Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar issued Executive Order reforming the regulations for the processing of business permits and licenses.
The new process involves just three steps – submission of renewal application form at the BPLO, assessment and payment of taxes at the City Treasurer’s Office, and issuance of a temporary permit to operate (TPO) by the BPLO.
Barredo said they have issued a total of 418 TPO from Jan. 1-20, the deadline for the renewal of business permits without surcharges and penalties.
The TPO specifies the requirements and clearances that a business operator needs to secure within 90 calendar days.
Non-compliance with the requirements within the specified period would mean the automatic revocation of the TPO and eventually the issuance of notice of closure and the actual closure of the establishment.
Barredo said EO 28 also provides that the mayor will issue the permit upon completion of all requirements and clearances after which the TPO shall be surrendered to the BPLO. (MindaNews)