‘City Hall needs to do more to spur businesses’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) executive officer Frank Carbon said Tuesday extending the deadline for the payment of business tax is a good move but City Hall must do more to cushion the effects of community lockdowns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carbon aired the suggestion after the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod passed an ordinance extending the payment of all taxes.

He suggested amnesty for both real property and business taxes. Another is to provide market or store space for micro businesses, farmers, and fishermen.

Increasing business hours by adjusting the curfew hours will also help, Carbon said.

A price freeze ordinance for food items, especially rice, fish and vegetable, can also be passed.

Last week the Bacolod SP passed an ordinance extending the deadline for the payment of all local taxes, fees and charges for the remaining quarters of the year 2020.

The ordinance was authored by Councilor Al Victor Espino.

The original deadlines for the succeeding quarterly payments of business taxes and fees are: second quarter, April 20; third quarter, July 20; and fourth quarter, October 20.

The new ordinance set the new deadlines: second quarter on June 25, third quarter on August 20 and fourth quarter on November 20.

As a result of the moving of deadlines of payment (within which to pay local taxes, fees, and charges), no interest, surcharges of any form of penalty will be applied on any local tax,  fee, or charge accruing on or due and demandable during the second quarter period as provided in Section 1 of the ordinance.

All local tax delinquencies prior to the effectivity of Republic Act 11469 (Bayanihan to Heal as One Act) will remain and will be due and demandable following the expiration of the deadline set in the second quarter period.

The applicable interests, penalties and surcharges will begin to run again and will be due and demandable after the lapse of the effectivity of R.A. No. 11469.