Markets want to spend more for personnel

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Market Operations Division wants the opinion of the Department of Budget and Management regarding Section 325 of the Local Government Code, specifically on whether the 45 percent ceiling for the Personnel Services is applicable to the city markets being an economic enterprise.

Market Administrator Raquel Arce, in her letter to DBM-7 Director Carmela S. Fernan, said that the City Markets Office has always been in a dilemma over the lack of personnel to manage the 11 city public markets.

Arce said that as much as they want to add more people, they are prevented by the budget office because according to the latter, “the annual budget for the City Markets was contained under the Special Accounts and it had already exceeded the 45-percent ceiling limitation for personnel services.”

“For several years already, the city markets office has continuously been hounded by the serious issue relative to its continuing budget overdraft…the office failed to hire additional employees, especially casual personnel, to augment its manpower capability which is direly needed.” Arce said.

She said the number of employees of the markets office is grossly disproportional in ratio to adequately manage the 11 public markets under their watch.

The markets office believes that they are exempted from the 45 percent ceiling limitation because they belong to offices and entities under the Economic Enterprise.

Arce cited Section 325, Paragraph A which says that the appropriations for salaries, wages, representation and transportation allowance of officials and employees of public utilities and economic enterprises owned, operated and maintained by the local government unit shall not be included in the Annual Budget or in the computation of the maximum amount of personal services.

“The appropriations for the personal service of such economic enterprises shall be charged to their respective budgets,” Section 325 (A) further reads.

Arce said that the markets’ income is more than sufficient to cover the salaries of the additional personnel they wish to hire next year. She said they really need additional personnel since some positions have been vacant for a long time because the personnel assigned to it have retired.

The market office plans to hire about 80 casual employees to serve as inspectors and enforcers in the city markets.

Arce said that ideally, each market should have seven to eight enforcers, an inspector and a market supervisor.

But at present, the city markets only have one supervisor with no staff supervising the operations of the market. They also only have 20 market enforcers assigned to any market that will request the assistance of the enforcers.

Some 40 personnel of the markets office are detailed at the City Treasurer’s Office where they work as collectors.     - (THE FREEMAN)