Mandaue treasurer won’t oppose extension of filing of clearances

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue city treasurer Regal Oliva yesterday said his office is not against the move to give the city’s business establishments six months extension in filing of clearances from the Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and the Pag-IBIG Fund.

Oliva said he is not opposed to the resolution sponsored by city councilor Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano–Dizon and approved in the last Wednesday’s session.

Dizon said the resolution, which gives city’s business establishments six months grace period in filing pertinent clearances with the City Treasurer’s Office, was passed after barrage of complaints from the business sector that securing SSS, Philhealth and Pag-ibig documents is time consuming because of long queues.

Oliva however said although he is not against the extension but it will also mean less time for them to record their applications.

He explained that under the law, business establishments should not be given with their business permits if they failed to submit the necessary clearances which, he said, are required in order to protect the welfare of workers.

He said a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) memorandum orders LGUs to give business owners sixty days to submit clearances.

It was also found out that many of the city’s business establishments have failed to comply with the clearances on time, which prompted the City Treasurer’s Office to impose a penalty of P5,000 last year, which was P500 in the previous years.

The city has set-up a “one-stop-shop” for the renewal of business permits at the City Sports Complex last January 2 to January 20.

Business owners were supposed to catch-up with the deadline to comply for the clearances until March 20 so that they could not be fined with P5,000 administrative penalty.

Ouano-Dizon’s resolution gives business establishments more time to comply with the requirements until July 20.

Oliva noted that many business establishments in the city became compliant with the requirements after the City Treasurer’s Office increased the penalty to P5,000.

This year, the office collected P13 million in penalties as compared to P22 million in last year, Oliva said. —/JRS (FREEMAN)