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Friday, October 24, 2008
Oro mayor sees end of traders-BIR row
By Annabelle L. Ricalde
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Mayor Constantino Jaraula is optimistic that the conflict between local traders and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will be resolved with the assumption of BIR’s new chief next month.
Ninety eight percent of Cagayan de Oro’s business closed shops on Tuesday in protest to the alleged harassments made by the local BIR.
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Jaraula admitted that the business sector had succeeded in airing its grievance through Tuesday’s "Sara Protesta"— spearheaded by the Coalition of Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI).
"I’ve helped them (local traders), and I've to talked to Secretary Eduardo Ermita and President Gloria Arroyo regarding the problem," the mayor told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro on Thursday.
He said he offered Ermita and Arroyo “several solutions” to solve the dispute, but did not elaborate.
"I can’t spell out the solution because as mayor I have to be in the middle, and I am satisfied with what is happening right now because we're in contact almost every day with President Arroyo, Sec. Ermita and lately Finance Sec. (Margarito) Teves," Jaraula added.
Last week, Jaraula personally delivered to Pres. Arroyo the letter-request of the local business coalition asking the replacement of BIR-Northern Mindanao Director Mustapha Gandarosa’s replacement.
Jaraula said Tuesday’s business shutdown had been planned two years ago, when the traders also attempted to have the controversial BIR official booted out from the region. He said he was relieved the protest finally materialized.
In fact, the City Government in a way supported the businessmen’s move, as Jaraula ordered half of City Hall’s workforce to go home.
Rudolfo Meñes, president of the Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation (Oro Chamber), said the business stoppage sent a strong message to Malacañang that local traders are already fed up with Gandarosa, and that the latter has to go.
Businessmen launched the “Sara Protesta” to protest the alleged "arbitrary and oppressive" tax assessments being conducted by the regional BIR office.
The businessmen lamented that their support for the government's "revenue generation efforts" has been "abused" by Director Gandarosa "by issuing hundreds of Letters of Authority (LAs) and Mission Orders (MOs) to conduct tax examination on the heels of the annual tax audit by the RDOs."
Gandarosa, they said, "has issued a barrage of LAs and MOs, and repeated subpoenas with undue procedural haste, giving no reasonable opportunity to our members to comply before the Regional Director (Gandarosa) imposes arbitrary and oppressive 'assessments'."
The traders warned that if the "on-going oppressive tax examinations and assessments" continue, "the permanent closure of businesses by some of our members and the resulting economic dislocation would be inevitable." (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (October 24, 2008 issue)
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