Sagarbarria opposes “privatization” of Dumaguete City public market

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines – Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria has clarified that he was opposed to the idea of putting the city public market up for privatization.

The mayor’s statement came amid rumors circulating around that the local government was mulling the idea of privatization to recoup losses at the public market. He denied this by saying that it was a councilor of the opposition who originally raised the idea of privatization.

Sagarbarria said in a press conference Monday that he never supportive the suggestion of transferring management and ownership of the public market to the private sector because it has been geared more towards public service instead of making money.

The city public market was reported to have suffered huge deficits in previous years, the latest in 2010 amounting to more than P5 million, but Syril Repe, city information officer said the current deficit was reduced and is now pegged at less than P50,000.

The mayor, along with Councilor Dan Leon, chair of the economic enterprise committee, further revealed to the media that it was opposition Councilor Antonio Remollo who suggested the privatization of the public market and the imposition of higher taxes for businesses there to recover the income shortfall.

Sagarbarria and Leon presented a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the City Council’s regular session last September 09, 2012 showing Remollo to have made the suggestion.

The mayor also disclosed an increase in revenues at the public market since 2010 when it was only earning P17 million compared to P23 million last year. —(FREEMAN)