By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
The city government of Iloilo is reminding business owners and operators to renew their permits at the earliest possible time and not wait until the last day to avoid inconvenience.
The deadline for the renewal of business permits is on January 20, 2024.
To expedite the renewal process, the city government has converted its four off-site payment centers located in malls into one-stop shops.
“All offsite payment centers have been converted into business one-stop shops. You can renew your permits in the same,” Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas said.
The off-site payment centers are located in SM City Iloilo, Festive Walk Mall at Megaworld, The Atrium, and Marymart Center.
Velma Jane Lao, head of the city’s Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion Office (LEDIPO), said the off-site payment centers will remain open even on weekends until January 20.
Meanwhile, the City Treasurer’s Office also announced that it will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
It added that it will extend its operation on Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
Treñas encouraged the public to utilize these off-site payment centers for swift, convenient, and efficient transactions.
Apart from handling the issuance and renewal of business permits, these centers offer additional services, including community tax certificates, health cards, and PWD and senior citizen cards, among others.
Data from the city government showed that as of January 8, a total of 1,389 permits for business renewals have been issued, with 3,250 Tax Orders of Payment released since January 2.
There are 18,927 businesses in the city that have been given business permits in 2023.
The LEDIPO is targeting to reach 80 percent of these businesses to be renewed by January 20.
In response to reports of fake business permits, the city government issued an advisory urging the public to verify the legitimacy of their transactions by visiting authorized offices.
Despite a recent 4-day power blackout that affected various transactions in the city, Treñas asserted that there would be no extension for business renewals.
“No extension for the renewal of permits will be given. During the brownouts, all offsite payment centers had power,” he said.
