Business permit process made simpler in Baguio

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will enforce an ever simpler method for renewing business permits in the city.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan, in Administrative Order No. 187, relaxed the rules for the issuance of the renewed permit by lessening the requirements before the permits can be issued.

Only sanitary permit, barangay clearance, clearance from the treasurer’s office and certification of payment of taxes will now be required for the issuance of the renewed permit.

The remaining requirements like the clearances from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security System (SSS), Philhealth and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) can be secured after the issuance of the permit.

The mayor stressed that the said clearances will have to be obtained to complete the validity of the business permits.  Those who will not complete the requirements will face closure, the mayor said.

The move was done in view of the need “to expedite the processing of business permits to encourage taxpayers to pay their taxes conveniently and comfortably.”

The mayor said many taxpayers have requested “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.”

“There is a need to concede to the clamor of the public by genuinely streamlining the procedures,” he said.

  

The processing of permits will begin on January 2 but the city treasurer’s office under assistant city treasurer/in-charge of office Alicia Onoza is now receiving applications to expedite the initial clearances required.

  

As  this developed, the mayor reiterated his order prohibiting city employees from facilitating the processing of both old and new business permits.

The mayor said observations in the past show that taxpayers engage the services of several city government employees in the processing or renewal of business permits and these workers spend hours if now days working out these permits thereby affecting their performance in their own offices.

           

“Further, the acquaintance and familiarity as well as influence of these city employees with offices concerned create undue advantage over those taxpayers who do not have connections (so) in order to avoid favoritism and ensure fairness in the application for new or the renewal of business permits, this practice of employees has to be corrected,” the mayor said.

           

Employees who will violate the order will be slapped a reprimand, suspension and dismissal.