ILOILO City – Business permit applicants in this city will have more than a week to process their requirements.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) approved an ordinance extending the deadline for the renewal of business permits until the end of January.
“Upon the findings of the city treasurer, I sent an urgent request to the city council to extend the period for business permits renewal. They immediately acted on the request, hence, the deadline was extended,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The deadline was originally set on Jan. 20.
As of Jan. 20, a report from the Business Permits and Licensing Office revealed 8,975 or 56 percent of the 16,136 businesses registered in the BPLO in 2020 had so far renewed their permits.
Aside from walk-in and online application, and renewal processing, the city government established satellite centers in three malls in the metro.
To breakdown the Jan. 20 issuances, at least 3,617 business permits were issued at the city hall.
In satellite centers, 706 applicants were issued with business permits in Gaisano Capital Iloilo City Center; 1,313 in Festive Walk Mall; 1,465 in SM City Iloilo; and 1,874 in Robinsons’ Place in the City Proper.
The process, according to Treñas, did not change but these additional processing centers helped ease the daily influx of clients at the city hall, which is necessary to manage the movement of people to help control the spread of coronavirus disease 2019.
Meanwhile, the total number of Tax Order of Payment released for payment as of Jan 20. is 12,847 or 80 percent of 16,136 target.
Every year, around 16,000 businesses in this southern city are renewing their permits.
Francis Cruz, head of the Iloilo City Local Economic and Investment Promotions Office, is confident that the target number of business permits this year will be reached./PN
