City reminds businesses to renew permits early

The Cebu City government is urging business establishments to renew their business permits starting January 2 next year to avoid paying fines.

Business Taxes and Fees division chief Monina Paires said they will start entertaining business permit renewals by January 2 until the 20th of the month.

Paires said after January 20, those who failed to renew their business permit will be charged 25 percent of total tax due surcharge and another two percent interest per month.

"Business owners should renew their business permits on or before January 20 in order to avoid any penalties," Paires said, adding that the division will compute surcharges automatically once permits are not renewed on time.

Cebu City has more than 5,000 business establishments.

Meanwhile, Nanette Sungahid, head of the Cebu City Revenue Task Force said they have temporarily stopped their drive against fake business permits for the past two weeks and concentrated more on the collection of taxes.

But next year, she said, they will renew their campaign against the proliferation of spurious business permits, as she believed their will still be more out there using permits to the disadvantage of the government.

The city government has closed down several establishments for using fake permits. Several individuals have also been investigated for possible involvement in the illegal activity.

More than 70 fake business permits have been uncovered by the task force raising suspicions that City Hall employees were involved on the proliferation of this illegal activity.

Of the 70 fake permits, 50 persons have already executed affidavits pinpointing two employees at the City Treasurer's Office as the ones responsible. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan