Monday, January 14, 2008 Business Bureau to inspect city establishments in February By Joy Romares-Sevilla
LAWYER Jhopee Avanceña-Agustin, officer-in-charge of the Business Bureau in Davao City, said last week that they will conduct inspection in all business establishments in the city in February.
Agustin told Sun.Star Davao that the bureau conducts monitoring of all business establishments whole year round, except during renewal of business permits.
"Last year, we really go around lalo na yung mga nasa sulok-sulok. We caught a number of violators, those who are operating without a business permit, but then we gave them a chance," Agustin said.
Agustin added that they encourage business firms to secure permits.
"Our monitoring team gives notice to the violators. We tell them to comply.
After three days, bumabalik kami and when they still have not complied, we issue a final notice. Their establishment will be subjected for closure," she said.
Agustin, on the other hand, claimed that aside from the bureau's thrust of encouraging business owners to get business permits, the bureau would intensify its issuance of the occupational permits this year.
"In 2007, we also focused on the issuance of occupational permits, aside from business permits, it is one way of generating income for the city," she said.
"We established one-stop shop program in every malls in the city last March and there is a tremendous increase in tax collection," she added.
Agustin said collection from occupational permits last year reached to P3.9 million compared to the P1.8 million generated in 2006.
"In 2006, the bureau was able to issue a total of 11,931 occupational permits. Last year, we were able to issue a total of 37,249 occupational permits. We will intensify the issuance of occupational permits kasi matagal na ito sa tax code, we should also focus on occupational permits aside from the business permits," Agustin said.
