STA. ANA -- Ten indigent individuals received the first set of Nego-Karts from the Municipal Government and Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) over the weekend.
The Nego-Karts were provided under a financial assistance program that aims help the ambulant vendors succeed in their businesses.
Mayor Rommel “Omeng” Concepcion personally turned over the Nego-Karts to the indigents. Joining him were Supervising Labor employment Officer Nely Punzalan, OIC Dole Pampanga Field Officer May Lyn Gozun, Senior Labor Employment Officer Au Limpin, and Provincial Public Employment Service Officer Luningning Vargas.
Municipal Employment Officer Elizabeth Bermudez said the Nego-Kart or Negosyo sa Kariton is a project for ambulant vendors on major cities of the country.
The project will assist the ambulant vendors in making their existing livelihood undertakings grow into profitable and sustainable business; thus, making their income level at par with that of the minimum wage earners, at the least.
“The Negosyo sa Kariton or Nego-Kart program aims to give vendors and street hawkers loans so that they would not have to patronize loan sharks,” Bermudez said.
Mayor Concepcion, for his part, said the Nego-Kart was designed to provide livelihood opportunities to individuals who want start their own small businesses.
He said it sought to give alternative livelihood to people in the barangay so they will no longer leave their families and go to the urban centers and abroad to find jobs.
Concepcion also said that some P150,000 was released by both the Municipal Government and Dole for the implementation of the project.
He added the Dole and the Municipal government would be monitoring the progress of the beneficiaries.
He said the Nego-Kart project will provide ambulant vendors with services that would enable them to increase, upgrade and diversify their products and services, and market the same to more buyers or customers.
Under the said program, the ambulant vendors are registered as legitimate micro-business and pay their taxes for operation, Concepcion added. (IOF)