Celso orders extended work hours for biz permit process
Mayor Celso Lobregat has ordered the extension of work hours of offices involved in the business permit renewal to accommodate more clients.
Work hours are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 8a.m. to 12noon and 1-5 p.m. during Saturdays and Sundays.
Businessmen have started flocking City Hall January 2, either to secure or renew business license permits, a process that will end January 20, based on the law.
Mayor Lobregat last January 4 instructed the setting up of more facilities such as additional assessment tables and chairs both at the ground floor and second floor of the City Hall building to accommodate more clients as well as to ensure comfort and convenience.
The city government started accepting applications for renewal of business permits for the year 2010, last October 1st.
For this year, the city government expects to register over 8,000 business establishments, according to the Licensing Division.
The offices involved in the renewal process are the City Treasurer’s Office, City Licensing Division, the Tricycle Adjudication Board, the Computer Services Division, City Health Office and City Planning and Development Office among others.
License renewal applicants are advised to bring the original business permit of 2009 as basis for the renewal.
Lobrtegat has reiterated his appeal to all local businessmen to process applications for new permits or renewal the earliest time possible to avoid the rush and the payment of penalties based on existing laws. Late filing would mean a 25 percent surcharge plus additional 2 percent for every month of delay
The mayor, it is recalled, has also initiated the early inspection of establishments based on the Business Processing and Licensing System or BPLS, a program undertaken through the Transparent and Accountable Governance (TAG) project funded by the United States Assistance for International Development through the Asia Foundation.
The TAG has caused the city to undertake new innovations to improve law enforcement and revenue generation activities. (Sheila Covarrubias)