Quezon City simplifies business permit renewal

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., in a bid to make the city more investor-friendly, has ordered a special procedure for the renewal of business permits of minimally regulated establishments for 2008.

In his Executive Order 10 dated Dec. 27, Belmonte ordered the issuance of just one document that will serve as an official receipt and an official business form.

Belmonte also ordered the classification of business establishments into two categories: the high-risk or highly regulated businesses and the low-risk or the minimally regulated. Highly regulated establishments are those that require multiple clearances to operate.

Minimally regulated businesses are those that require the least number of clearances for renewal, such as the barangay and locational clearances.

The city’s 60,000 low-risk establishments such as general services, offices, neighborhood stores and other medium-scale businesses will be handled by the city treasurer’s office under Victor Endriga.

Pacifico Maghacot, Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) chief, will continue handling high-risk businesses and new applications.

The new order provides that renewals are deemed approved once the required business taxes are paid and applicants need only to present their barangay clearances.

Endriga said that by definition, the high-risk category lists about 5,000 establishments consisting of nightclubs, casinos, hotels and similar businesses.

Under Belmonte’s new directive, owners of establishments are given a grace period of 90 days to submit to the BPLO the applicable clearances, based on the nature of the business. – Perseus Echeminada