Some 6,813 business establishments in Bacolod City have availed of the early registration and renewal from the Business Permits and Licensing Office as of Monday Jan. 4.
The number includes those who have registered starting December at their office at the Government Center, but it is expected to double within the week after the annual Business One-Stop-Shop opened at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central this week.
BPLO head Stella Rose Rayos said that on Monday morning, they encountered line problems, but the staff were able to start processing the permits in the afternoon.
For the first time, the city brought its business registration service inside a shopping mall for three months from Jan. 4 to March 31, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays to Fridays.
The BPLO is implementing a “No Appointment, No Transaction” policy, which means clients must secure an appointment before applying for or renewing their business permits.
During the period, applicants for business permits are entitled to avail of a 10-percent discount if they pay their regulatory fees in advance for the whole year.
The BOSS service is being participated in by the city’s 61 villages for the issuance of barangay clearances, City Health Office, City Planning and Development Office-Zoning Division, Office of the Building Official, Environment and Natural Resources Office, City Tourism Office, City Cooperative and Livelihood Development Office, City Department of Agriculture, City Veterinary Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, Pag-IBIG Fund, and Securities and Exchange Commission.
In an earlier statement, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said that bringing the BOSS to the mall is among the innovations being adopted by the city government to continuously create an environment conducive for business to rapidly grow.
“We designed this system in line with the business-friendly policies we adhered to for so many years. Our business community deserves a spacious, convenient, and accessible facility as they are a vital engine to our economic recovery program,” he added. – MML
