BACOLOD City – Mayor Evelio Leonardia is pushing for an extension of the city government’s Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) for the convenient renewal of business permits and registration of new businesses for 2020.
Leonardia said he will request for BOSS’ extension before the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), noting that this had been repeatedly done in the previous years.
BOSS kicked off on Jan. 2 at the New Government Center here and will run until Jan. 20.
The program provides easier and faster business permit issuances and real property tax payments.
The city mayor said he had already signed an endorsement letter to the SP in relation to his request for the extension of the BOSS.
Once the SP grants his request, BOSS operations will operate until Feb. 29.
For his part, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said the request shall be approved through an ordinance.
“Definitely, we are going to approve it,” Familiaran disclosed, saying the move is reasonable as to give applicants ample time to secure the needed requirements in processing of their business permits.
Assistant City Treasurer Arlene Memoria said the BOSS is open from Mondays to Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no noon break.
Business owners who pay their taxes in full within the period of Jan. 2 to 20 can avail of a 10-percent discount, she added.
BOSS is important to the city government’s “ease of doing business” goal or making Bacolod City business-friendly, stressed Memoria.
In 2019, the city’s Permits and Licensing Division recorded a total of 25,627 businesses registered.
According to Memoria, they are expecting an increase for this year’s business registration./PN
