LEEO NOT EARNING ENOUGH Step up collection or face abolition – councilor

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-desktop-hide=” av-medium-hide=” av-small-hide=” av-mini-hide=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=”]

[/av_textblock]

[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]

[av_heading heading=’LEEO NOT EARNING ENOUGH Step up collection or face abolition – councilor ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
[/av_heading]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
Monday, November 20, 2017
[/av_textblock]

[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
ILOILO City – The Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO), as a revenue-generating arm of the city government, is overseeing the operation of the city’s slaughterhouse and seven public markets. But it is not earning enough.

In fact, it is incurring deficits, according to Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (SP) appropriations committee.

If it continues to be unviable, the LEEO should just be abolished, he said.

“This year it borrowed money from the city government’s General Fund to finance its operations. Its revenues are not enough for its expenditures,” said Peñaredondo.

LEEO’s revenues this year have so far reached P77.8 million but its expenses are way higher at P78,592,362.28, or a deficit of P792,360, according to the councilor.

“Kon sige-sige nga wala sila income, i-dissolve na lang sila,” said Peñaredondo.

LEEO chief Ariel Castañeda said the revenues could have been higher had the slaughterhouse’s boiler machine not bogged down in 2015.

The city’s slaughterhouse is in Barangay Tacas, Jaro district. The LEEO bought two new boiler machines for it worth P3.7 million last November 2016.

The boilers are where hogs are immersed in hot water for scalding before cleaning.
“But our public markets are performing very well. Their revenues increased by 20 percent this year,” said Castañeda.

He was referring to the Iloilo Central Market, Iloilo Terminal Market (Super), Jaro Big Market, Jaro Small Market, and public markets in the districts of La Paz, Mandurriao and Arevalo.

The LEEO chief is hopeful that by 2018, the LEEO would have higher revenues.

“Try your best to make your office sustainable. We expect that you make money so that you can contribute to the programs of the city government,” said Peñaredondo.

It was unclear as of this writing if LEEO already crafted a business plan. In a 2016 interview, Castañeda told Panay News the office did not have any since its inception.

“Employees are just grinding in reaching the quota (collections) set by the City Treasurer’s Office,” he said then.

Castañeda said the office would be making a business plan to guide its operation.

The plan would focus on three aspects, he said – finance, operation and human resource utilization.

Ang finance pertains to the target collection. Sa operation may ara kita organizational discipline kag internal control system sa kada merkado kag market-in-charge,” said Castañeda./PN
[/av_textblock]

[/av_one_full]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here