Garbage fee hike needed to improve garbage collection— Treñas

By Erly C. Garcia

Amid protests from owners of commercial establishments, the city government has started implementing an increase in garbage fee to help defray the cost of garbage collection paid to private contractor J.S. Layson Construction Inc.

Establishment owners consider the average 15 percent increase in garbage fee excessive. A storeowner in the city proper who spoke on condition of anonymity said the city government should have improved garbage collection first before increasing the garbage fee.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said , the new garbage fee covers business establishments, residential homes, public market stores and sari-sari stores.

Small restaurants will have to pay P350 per month while those occupying more than 300 square meters in area will have to pay P9 ,000 per month.

Residential homes will have to pay P50 per month while sari-sari stores will have to pay P20 per month.

Sari-sari stores along the main road will have to pay P30 per month while public market stalls will have to pay P100 month.

Treñas said the city government is paying garbage collection fee to J.S. Layson amounting to P2.4 million a month or P31 million a year.

Treñas said the increase in garbage fee would help the city government raise revenue to ensure better garbage collection services.

The mayor added that with the old garbage fee the city government merely collected a total of P14 million last year which is not enough to pay the garbage contractor.