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Independent council aspirant Roberto “Bong” Ko yesterday asked the city government to alleviate the plight of small sari-sari store owners by not imposing exorbitant fees in the renewal of the annual business permits. Ko disclosed that in his campaign sorties, the common complaint of these small time businessmen is the exorbitant payment of their business permits with the City Treasurer’s Office. According to Ko, the poor businessmen are complaining about the city government’s policy that all stores should pay their business permits basing above the P50,000 assessed value of their products which is detrimental to the sari-sari store owners. “If these small businessmen surrender their business permits, they are made to pay P1,500. What kind of policy is this?” Ko asked. Ko also asked where the city government’s livelihood assistance program is going for the smalltime businessmen to alleviate their lives. The former city official also called the city government to look for alternatives to help the marginalized store owners to possibly direct the barangays to collect the business permits from these poor sector instead the City Treasurer’s Office. “These poor businessmen do business on borrowed capital and yearly they are made to pay around P4,000 in business permits,” Ko pointed out. Ko stressed that if elected, he would re-study the law that would give a fair treatment to these poor sector engaged in small business. He also disclosed that the Real Estate Tax which soared up to 150 percent is very exorbitant as this would give a negative impression to investors. “Instead of encouraging businessmen to come and invest in the city, it would drive them away,” Ko said. (Nonong Santiago)
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