Mandaue vendors may get amnesty

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City council has approved on first reading a draft ordinance which will give amnesty on all penalties and surcharges of the rentals of all delinquent stallholders and vendors at the new public market from April 2012 to January 2013.

The said draft ordinance was sponsored by City Councilor Jimmy Lumapas who is the committee chairman on market and abattoir.

Lumapas said that he was prompted to come up with the said draft ordinance after market vendors complained of "less income" after they transferred to the new public market located at the back of the city sports complex in the later part of 2011 from the old market located in Barangay Centro.

There are 1,300 stallholders at the New Mandaue City Public Market and 70 percent of them are considered to be delinquent in paying their stall rentals, according to market administrator Mosulini Suliva.

Once the ordinance will be approved on second and third readings, delinquent stallholders of the new public market will be granted relief from paying the rentals due for the period of April 2012 to January 2013 in an installment basis but in accordance to a specific schedule.

Delinquent rental fees amounting to P5,000 to P20,000 shall be payable within six months once the ordinance is approved while those delinquent rental fees of more than P20,000 shall be payable within one year from the approval of the said ordinance.

The draft ordinance also stipulates that these delinquent stallholders are likewise granted an amnesty on interests, penalties and surcharges imposed on their rental fees as a consequence of their delinquency.

The delinquent stallholders and vendors, who have paid the interests, penalties or surcharges and the like, imposed on their rental fees before the passage of the ordinance, shall likewise be entitled and covered by the grant of amnesty. The interest, penalty or surcharges paid shall be credited in their favor and deducted in the payment of the next succeeding rental fee.

But the ordinance also states that before delinquent stallholders will be granted with such amnesty, they must be able to present a "certificate of compliance" issued by the city mayor's office to show proof that they have strictly complied with all the documentary permits.

They must also have certificate of clearance issued by the city treasurer's office as evidence that they strictly complied with all the documentary requirements and have been issued business and other necessary permits.

The clearance will prove that they did not incur any other delinquencies in the payment of taxes, fees, charges and any other impositions prior to the moratorium in the rentals due for the period of April 2012 to January 2013.

This as they must also comply with another certificate of compliance  issued by the city legal office to the effect that it serves as evidence that they strictly complied with all the important documentary requirements, for instance, that they were able to sign the lease contract between them and the city, and the accompanying waiver and undertaking.

The compliance certificate will also validate that the stallholders did not commit any single violation of pertinent city ordinances, administrative issuances by the market authority and the like, currently in effect in the New Mandaue City Public Market, which would result in the revocation of their contract. (FREEMAN)