OVER 17,000 establishments filed for business permit renewal from January 3 to February 28, a report from the Business Permits and Licensing Division (BPLD) showed.
BPLD Chief Vivian Sabuga-a said about 17,493 businessmen have renewed their permits, lower than last year's 20,999 renewed business permits.
City Treasurer Glenn Bañez said, in an interview, this figure is not yet final since market vendors are still not accounted since the City Council approved the group's petition for an extension.
“Wala paman gud na-apil ang sa market kay sila man mismo ang nag-request nga mohangyo sa extension kay some of them naay problema sa renta sa ilang stalls, wala pa kini ma-settle (Market vendors are still not included since they were the ones who requested for an extension considering some of them has problems in the rent of their stalls), some of them cannot afford to pay, and some of them daw nabagyohan pud (were victims of typhoon),” Bañez said.
“Daghan pud gyud ning atong vendors so we expect na mosaka pa ang atong number sa nag-renew (There are plenty of vendors so we expect that the number of those who will renew their permits will increase),” he added.
The City Council last Monday, February 27, approved the vendors' petition and moved the deadline from February 28 to March 31.
Cagayan de Oro-Cogon United Market Vendors Association President Franklin Dagkuta said the vendors welcomed this move, saying this will give them ample time in paying the business license renewal rate, as well as the 20 percent of the total amount of their delinquency and settle their overdue rates.
The City Council also moved to extend the usual business permit schedule, from its original schedule, January 20 to February 28 to give favor to businessmen who were affected by massive the flashfloods last January 16.
Bañez, meanwhile, reminded vendors that those who fail to renew their business permit will be charged with 25 percent surcharge and two percent penalty every month.