The city government here will grant a comprehensive relief package to businesses affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic as a major component of its health crisis exit plan.

The support program “Ipadayon ang Negosyo kag Trabaho” (Continue Business and Jobs) will benefit all micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through relief from payment of their business taxes covering fiscal years 2020 and 2021.

“This came right on time especially now that we are under the new normal with the de-escalation of our status to Alert Level 1,” Mayor Evelio Leonardia said in a statement on Monday.

About 95 percent of registered businesses in this city belong to the MSME category.

“We made an analysis and assessment of the state of businesses at the height of the health crisis. Bacolod was very fortunate that only eight percent was badly hit in the first year of the pandemic in 2020, and four percent more in 2021, or a total of 12 percent,” the mayor said.

Leonardia noted that despite the low rate of Bacolod-based businesses affected by the crisis, the administration will still reach out to them and find out how the city government can assist them to restart their operations.

City Treasurer Arlene Memoria said businesses with arrears in their mayor’s permits and other mandatory fees from their previous applications for renewal in the last two years will be allowed to settle their dues on staggered or installment basis.

“This applies to enterprises with capitalization of PHP3 million and below. They are also encouraged to re-apply as new registrants for the current year,” she said in an interview.

The city government will not collect business tax from covered enterprises for 2022 provided they register with the Department of Trade and Industry or the local government unit under the Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE) law.

Enterprises that have already settled their 2022 business tax do not have to pay next year as long as they complied with the BMBE law registration.

Memoria, however, said there are payments considered mandatory fees and cannot be waived as these are stipulated in the revenue code.

These include the mayor’s permit and dues for the Office of the Building Officer, garbage, health inspection, environment, clearances, and fire safety.

Old businesses with arrearages and want to register for 2022 will be allowed to settle their back dues, penalties or surcharges for the mayor’s permit and other mandatory fees on installment basis, Memoria said. (PNA)