Mayor orders closure of 678 Baguio establishments

ByDexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered closure of 678 business establishments in this city to compel owners in following regulations governing their operations and enhance the city’s tax collection efficiency.

From January to present, the city government issued 1071 closure orders with only 393 issued for the six months of the year while the remaining 678 others were issued the past three months.

With the simplified issuance of business permits as contained in Administrative order No. 153, series of 2010, the local chief executive said there is no longer reason for businessmen to reason out they do not have permits because of tedious processes that they could not follow due to their hectic schedules in their business operations.

Domogan doing business comes with the responsibility of paying taxes for their operations since funds generated from taxes are plowed back to the people through high impact projects and basic services.

Under the issued closure orders to all the establishments, the proprietors were given reasonable time to secure the appropriate permits as prescribed in their notices so that their operations will be legitimized and that they will have no fear of being constantly inspected and warned of their illegal operations.

The affected businesses in the city include bars and restaurants, shopping centers, establishments within malls, department stores, groceries and supermarkets, disco houses, sari-sari stores, karaoke establishments, market stalls among others.

Domogan said there is a need for the local government to be strict in implementation of ordinances so local businessmen will share the responsibility of helping the local government generate the sufficient funds which will sustain the operation of the city in the future.

He said increased local income will help the city to be partially independent from the Internal Revenue Allotment being given to all local governments by the national government through the Department of Budget and Management.

Aside from increasing the generation of local business taxes, the local government also wants to hike the prevailing assessment levels of real property taxes in the city which was not adjusted over the past 15 years.

Considering the increasing population and the increasing number of investors in the city, the city mayor explained the local government is also experiencing increased expenditures in the implementation of infrastructure projects as well as the delivery of basic services to attend to the needs of the people in the city’s 128 barangays.

He assured local residents funds generated by the city government will be brought back to the people through projects and services.