AN ordinance standardizing the costs for special business permits in the city has been approved on first reading by the city council.
The ordinance, authored by Councilor Philian Weygan-Allan, encompasses permits for the conduct of micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) showcases such as fairs, temporary business activities in temporary locations, barangay market day activities in barangays without a market ordinance, night markets, temporary satellite markets in the barangays, and any other vending setup that is temporary and not covered by regular business permits.
The rates are as follows: P350 per week for night market stalls; P250 per day per person or business entity conducting business activities organized by the city in temporary locations, such as trade showcases; and P350 per day or P2,000 per quarter for continuous activity in a temporary barangay location, such as a basketball court or other similar non-business locations.
The ordinance also provides for a P100 per day fee for buskers and other creative artists during temporary events in the city.
The ordinance also stipulates that failure to comply with the proposed fees will mean non-operation, and should the activity continue regardless, the city will levy the special permit fees plus 50 percent of the fee as a penalty, with the potential for the provision of administrative cases against the violators.
The proposed ordinance is undergoing review by the Sanggunian’s Committee on Appropriations and Finance Cluster B (Taxes, Fees, and Other Charges).