By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA

Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya said the implementation of the closure order against business establishments operating without the required permits is part of the city’s effort to ensure a fair business environment for all law-abiding entrepreneurs.

This comes after nine out of 19 business establishments in Barangay Villamonte reopened after their owners were granted a 15-day grace period to resume retail operations while they complete the processing of their permits.

The establishments were cited for specific violations, including the failure to renew their business permits and the non-payment of the required fees.

“As long as they comply with the requirements, they can reopen and continue their business operations. We want to be fair. Regardless of whether it is a big company or a small business establishment, everyone is mandated to secure a business permit,” Gasataya said.

To streamline compliance, he said he also issued Executive Order No. 81, establishing the Bacolod Business Investment Assistance Desk.

“There were those who complied with the requirements, those with pending applications, and those who have not even started processing their business permits to operate in the city,” Gasataya said.

“For those with pending business permit applications, we created a team to assist them in completing the processing of the requirements,” he added.

City Legal Office (CLO) head Karol Joseph Chiu said the city’s initiative is “fundamentally about leveling the playing field.”

“[This ensures] that honest, tax-paying entrepreneurs who diligently comply with local laws do not have to face unfair competition from those who evade their civic obligations,” Chiu said.

He added that business owners had been given one and a half months to process their documentation before the closure orders were enforced./MAP, WDJ