Biz owners urged: Renew permits or face upped fees

By Wabilyn M. Lomong-oy

BONTOC, Mountain Province –Mayor PascualSacgaca urged l business establishment owners and tricycle operators to renew and secure their permit and license the first 20 days of January before the implementation of additional 25 percent surcharge of the permit fee to taxpayer.

Business establishments and tricycle operators are obliged to renew and secure their permit yearly as stated in the Municipal Tax Ordinance No .2001-005 of the 2001 Revised Revenue Code of Bontoc pursuant to the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991 to lawfully perform and engage in any business, trade, and amusement.

As of this writing, only one fourth of the total number of tricycle operators and business establishment owners as of last year renewed and secured their permit for this year. Other tricycle operators and business establishment owners are expected to renew their permits before the imposition of additional twenty-five percent surcharge of the permit fee to tax payers.

For comparison in the year 2011, a total number of 423 tricycle operators and 621 business establishments renewed their permit while in the year 2012, a total number of 418 tricycle operators and 681 business establishments renewed their permits. Additional number of 60 business establishments secured their permits last 2012.

Likewise, there are 431 registered franchises for tricycles operating in the municipality. Since 2002, issuance of franchise to new tricycle operators had been closed however, there are still tricycles operating without franchises but with the efforts of the municipal government together with the personnel from the Bontoc police station, the Bontoc Federated Association of Tricycle Operators and Drivers (BOFATOD), the Highway Patrol Group and representatives from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) operation of “colorum” or unregistered tricycle operators had been minimized.

While securing of permit is on progress, Mayor Sacgaca reiterates that operators in possession of tricycle franchise who fails to register his/her franchise three months (3) instead of six (6) months after its expiry date shall be suspended to operate and the franchise shall be revoked.  This is based on Ordinance No. 170, S. 2012 Amending Ordinance No. 124, S. 2008 of the Municipal Traffic Code of Bontoc. 

Meanwhile, in an interview with some of the business and tricycle operators who are processing their permits, they said that with this year’s processing it is more easier and not time consuming since the flow of processing is continuous and in order.