With the annual renewal period set from January 2 to 20, the Davao City business bureau division revealed it was expecting a significant increase in the number of business permits to be issued in 2017.
City Business Bureau officer-in-charge Atty. Marisa M. Marasigan-Torentera told Edge Davao said on Wednesday that as of January 20, 2016, the agency has recorded almost 32,000 business renewals and 353 new business applications.
“After January 20, 2016, the applications for business permits continued,” added Torentera.
With the constant investment surge, for this year, the Business Bureau chief expects an increase of 18.75% or 38,000 combined renewals and applications.
According to Torentera, under the new Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC no. 1, series of 2016) or the revised standards in processing business permits and licenses in all cities and municipalities, the business processing should not take more than two days.
Former Davao City Investment Promotions Center Head and current City Planning and Development Office Head Ivan Cortez has previously said that the processing of permits will be shortened to two days from its usual three-day run as compliance to President Duterte’s imperative on upholding competitiveness and ease of doing business with the said improvement.
As stated on the JMC, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DITC) shall be the lead agency in the automation of the processing of fees.
Meanwhile, Torentera said that applicants for business permits must prepare for the following fees: signboard fee, sanitary permit fee, renewal fee (for renewal of business), plumbing fee, occupational fee, mayor’s permit fee, laboratory fee, health certification fee, garbage fee, electrical fee, zoning fee, tax clearance fee, solid waste management certificate fee and sanitary fee.
Torentera said there is no standard amount of fees for all business because the amount will vary on the capitalization as well as the area of business establishment.
“Kung tan-awon nimo ang atong ordinace naa didto kung small cottage ka, medium or large ug naa na pud ang counterpart of fees (In the ordinance, it is already stated if your enterprise is categorized as small cottage, medium of large with the counterpart of fees.), said Torentera.
The Business Bureau chief added that the fees will also vary on the nature or line of the business.
“For example, if you are engaged in tourism, you will pay tourism fee. For meat, city vet fee,” Torentera explained.
The Business Bureau chief identified the problems commonly encountered by the agency during the renewal period.
“Usually, kulang sa documents such as SPA (special power of attorney), Secretary Certificate hindi updated (Usually, the applicants miss some documents such as SPA, and their Secretary Certificate are not updated,” said Torentera.
She pointed out, the major issue encountered by the City Business Bureau personnel is the attitude of applicants who would wait until the last minute before processing their permit.
The Business Bureau Chief urged the applicants to apply as early as possible to avoid the rush hour as well as the problems that go with it.
