City streamlines business permit renewal procedure

By Ramon Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- The city has reduced the number of documents initially required for the renewal of business permits, giving business owners time to secure other required clearances after the issuance of their licenses.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan issued Administrative Order 153-2010 last week requiring only the sanitary permit, barangay clearance, treasury clearance and certificate of tax payment in the renewal of business permits.

Other documents, such as clearances from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, Philhealth and the fire department shall be secured after the issuance of the business permit.

The mayor however noted that some business owners fail to obtain additional papers after getting their permits, resulting in their eventual closure.

In a recent dialogue with representatives of the Baguio-Benguet Chamber of Commerce, the mayor noted the need for business establishment owners to do their part of the bargain to speed up the processing of permits and other government regulatory requirements.

Licensing division chief Cristion Lagyop said some store owners only secure the additional documents “only after they are issued closure notices.”

In streamlining the procedure, Domogan noted “there is an urgent appeal by taxpayers to accelerate the pace of processing business permits by allowing them to secure the required clearances from other government agencies after the issuance of the business permit.

With this, owners of establishments ceasing or closing operations are also advised to surrender their permits to the city treasurer’s office and to notify other agencies concerned to spare them from paying fees on the presumption that they are still operating.

An establishment owner who had ceased operations and then decided to put up another line of business was recently billed for over half a million pesos in employers’ contributions to the Social Security System for her employees in the closed store.