Store chain avoids closure

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue-7 did not push through with its plan to close four Unitop braches here after the management paid P50 million of the P97 million it owes the government for violating certain revenue laws in 2010.

BIR-Region No.13 in Cebu City regional director Rodita Galanto said that they were supposed to close four branches of Unitop here in Cebu and another branch in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, but they received an order from their head office to abort the planned closure.

“The closure was aborted after the management paid P50 million at our central office,” Galanto said.

Unitop’s four branches in Cebu are located in Cebu City and the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay.

Galanto said the P97 million encompasses Unitop’s payables for all their branches nationwide including its branches in Pangasinan, Puerto Princesa and Calamba, Laguna.

BIR launched a program called “Oplan Kandado” which aims to raise the much-needed revenue for the government and for taxpayers to pay the right amount of taxes. Violations committed by Unitop branches allegedly include failure to register, failure to issue receipts and under-declaration of 30 percent of its Value Added Tax.

She explained that BIR can close down any establishment found violating even just one of the revenue laws. The BIR Region No. 13 has a target collection of P12,421,042,000.00 for this year. So far, from January to November 20 of this year, it has collected a total of P11,135,549,894.00. —With reports from Rey B. Pasaporte of Banat News/BRP (FREEMAN)