By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Permits and License Division (PLD) of Bacolod City will begin conducting inspections of all business establishments operating in the city, beginning March 15.
PLD head Stella Rose Rayos said the objective of the inspection is to ensure all businesses have secured a permit. Those who have not yet secured one will be asked to process their business permit.
She said, for those who have already secured a permit, the PLD will have to verify the information on the said document.
The one-stop-shop processing for the renewal and new applicants of business permits ended on February 28, which means anybody who will be required to renew or apply for a business permit can no longer avail the 10 percent discount.
Rayos said, based on their records, the number of business registrations increased by 15 percent, compared to the same period last year. The total number of businesses registered in January and February 2016 was 14,911, while, in the same period this year, it has reached 17,179.
Rayos expects total business registrations to surpass last year’s number, which tallied around 19,000.
Lilibeth Gamboa of the City Treasurer’s Office said, based on their records, the city has collected P354,142,779.10 this year, between January and February, compared to the same period in 2016, which was P312,136,676.21.
The collection is comprised of business taxes, mayor’s permit fees, regulatory fees, and others./WDJ