BY CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
An ordinance granting tax relief to taxpayers with unpaid business taxes in the City of Bacolod through condonation of penalties, interest and surcharges imposed on them, was approved by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod recently.
Councilor Dindo Ramos, who authored the ordinance, said the livelihood of many marginalized sector were affected because of the lockdown last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Because small businesses like tricycle and jeepney operators were not able to operate due to the restrictions being implemented, many of them were not able to secure business permits and also failed to pay business taxes, he said.
Ramos, chairman of the SP Committee on Laws and Transportation, said that when they resumed operations after the city eased its restrictions, these small operators were charged with penalties, surcharges and interest for the past year when there were no business activities.
So, he introduced an ordinance after considering the situation of the marginalized sector. He believes that government should be compassionate to their situation especially the business sector, he said.
Their demands are reasonable so the city should find a way, Ramos said.
There is a provision in the ordinance that if their penalties are too big, these can be paid on a staggered basis, he said.
Ramos had earlier authored City Ordinance 936 which grants condonation on penalties on real property taxes.*
