THE Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) is eyeing some 40 percent increase in the renewal of business permits and licenses in Iloilo City.

BPLO chief Norman Tabud said his office at the Iloilo City Hall is open until 9 p.m. on Wednesday to accommodate applications for renewal.

After the January 20 deadline, the applicants will have to pay a surcharge and penalty of 25 percent.

Tabud said his office started receiving applications starting January 4, and he is optimistic over the increase of business permits and licenses this year is a big jump off of some 2,000 applicants over the 13,000 permits issued in 2015.

The processing for permits and licenses of new businesses will start in February 2016.

The BPLO chief said the increase of renewals is due to the influx of medium and small business enterprises (MSEs).

He is hopeful the City Council will take a serious look in the MSEs applications as similar requirements of big businesses and revised the requirements through a regulation ordinance to facilitate a more business-friendly processing.