City market vendors assail new tax rate
Market vendors in the city's different public markets are up in arms against the implementation of the new tax ordinance which drastically increased the rental and entrance fees to the markets.
A petition by the market vendors from Lapaz Public Market, obtained by The News Today, sought the intervention of City Mayor Jerry Treñas regarding the new tax rate which they call as excessive.
In the petition, the vendors said the very high rental and entrance fee imposed under the tax ordinance caused the closure of some stalls inside the market. They said almost a quarter of the market is already closed for business. The manifesto was signed by some 126 vendors under the Lapaz Vendors Association headed by their president Jacqueline M. Valladolid.
In the 2007 tax rate, a stall with the area of seven square meters is charged for P0.60 for 30 days or P126 per month. While, in the 2008 new approved rate, a stall holder who occupies an area of seven square meters will pay P378 for 30 days. There is an increase of P252 in the new tax rate.
The manifesto, written in Hiligaynon, stated that the vendors are not against the increase of the taxes, but they said the increase should be commensurate to their income and should be realistic. They even appealed before the city government to review their taxing scheme as some of the goods that entered Lapaz public market come from the Iloilo Terminal Market (Super) and has already been taxed before it entered into the Lapaz public market.
The vendors also asked the city government to stop the operation of the "talipapa" in Lapaz to make sure the buyers would buy goods at the Lapaz market.
The vendors also said the number of customers or market goers who used to buy their goods at the Lapaz market already lessened. Both, the vendors and the customers suffered because of the increase in the rental and entrance fee. The vendors, in turn, increased the prices of their commodities in order to get back the taxes they paid.
The vendors also claimed that they resorted to loaning money from Indians, Taiwanese and Vietnamese to augment their deficiency in making money or profit out of the goods they sell. They also contested the short period of notice for the public hearing regarding the new tax rate. "The time is too short for the public hearing." The public hearing was held in the middle of December and the new tax rate took effect immediately in January 2008.
In their letter, the vendors said "it is not their concern" on whether the city has not imposed the new tax rate for more than 15 years. "There were multiple increases on fees and taxes for reason that the government has not increased fees and taxes."
The vendors also added that the burden to raise money out of taxes should not be put on them. "The slogan says "USWAG ILOILO" paano mag-uswag ang Iloilo nga mga vendors kay sobra kataas sang ang rental fees and entrance fees. Instead sang USWAG, GUTOM ILOILO vendors sang merkado publiko," the letter said.
The News Today learned that the Iloilo Central Market Merchants and Vendors Association headed by Rex Donasco and the Iloilo Terminal Market Vendors Association led by Roland Gascon also raised the same concern.
Meanwhile, Mayor Treñas said he is optimistic that the appeal of the vendors would get a positive response from the City Treasurers Office and the committee on ways and means of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Copies of the vendor's letter were already provided to City Treasurer Katherine Tingson and the legislative body for their perusal.
Earlier, owners of business establishments in the city also complained that the new tax rate as embodied in the new tax ordinance was very high and and detrimental to the businesses in the city.