BACOLOD City – More than 50 additional business establishments, mostly offering refreshments, are set to be meted out with closure orders starting this week in this city for operating without permits.
The Business Permits and Licensing Office submitted to the City Legal Office (CLO) earlier a list of 146 business establishments recommended for closure.
Of this, the city has classified the establishments into two – those that lack requirements and those that are non-compliant, according to Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting, Jr.
The looming closures were due to the businesses’ failure to secure necessary permits, violating Section 65, Article 20 of City Ordinance No. 565, Series of 2011 (Revised Revenue Code of the City).
“Our message has always been clear. They have obligations, and so do we in law enforcement. We do not tolerate such practices; this time, it would be different,” said Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez. “Do not wait for a closure order issued against you before complying,”
Benitez said that the city is not just strictly collecting the tax dues but is also looking for a system to monitor them.
“All of the business permits have QR codes. You can scan that and check if it is valid or not. If there is a discrepancy, report it to the city,” the mayor added.
He also said that this is one way of ensuring that all business establishments are registered and have secured business permits.
Last week, the CLO padlocked nine business establishments in Barangay Mansilingan for the same violation.
Rey Demisana, head of the City Enforcement Team, reported minor resistance from some business owners during the enforcement, with several insisting that their permit applications were being processed./PN
