THE Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber) has appreciated the City Government’s move to widen some of the city’s major roads by phasing out the mini stalls of sidewalk vendors and even halting the operations of the famed Night Café.
The business group is happy to note that sales have improved among many of its member-companies especially those located in the Divisoria area.
“We are happy to receive reports from our members on sales improvement,” said Oro Chamber President Efren Uy.
Uy believes that in freeing the streets from sidewalk vendors, legitimate enterprises can already cater to more customers because of increased visibility of their stores, not to mention the absence of clutter.
Antonio Uy, who owns Marny’s Fastfood and Wang’s Tea Fuzion, shared that convenience-wise, the business operation improved.
Before, Tony Uy said, they had difficulty loading and unloading the food containers as the vehicle would be normally parked two or three blocks away from the store due to traffic and the helter-skelter in Divisoria.
“The city is now clean,” Tony Uy said.
Another business, Barkadahan Grill, is happy with the sudden boost in sales after Hapsay Dalan (orderly street) suspended the Night Café operations.
The Oro Chamber president congratulated the current city administration for its Hapsay Dalan as it helped alleviate traffic congestion and restored the order in Divisoria and Cogon Market.
Micro business opportunities
Uy is also encouraging the Night Café entrepreneurs to register as microbusiness enterprises so they can benefit from the assistance of the different government agencies ranging from technical to financial support under the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE) Law.
The Chamber Executive is asking the Night Café vendors to be patient too as the city is surely looking for the best site where they can be relocated.
The Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Act of 2002 (Republic Act 9178) or commonly known as the BMBE Law counts Mayor Oscar Moreno as one of its authors.
This act refers to any business entity or enterprise engaged in production, processing or manufacturing of products or commodities, including agro-processing, trading and services, whose total assets including those arising from loans but exclusive of the land on which the particular business entity’s office, plant and equipment are situated, shall not be more than P3 million.
The law dictates that the Department of Trade and Industry, in coordination with the private sector and non-government organizations (NGOs), shall explore the possibilities of linking or matching-up BMBEs with small, medium and large enterprises, and likewise establish incentives thereof.
The data gathered from business registration shall be made accessible to and shall be utilized by private sector organizations and NGOs for purposes of business matching, trade and investment promotion, it added. (PR)