Various business groups express support to padlocked store
ROXAS CITY – Various business organizations owned by Filipino and Chinese community had expressed their sympathy and support to Mr. Leny Albert Apaitan owner of the Black and White Supermart and B & W Drugstore which was padlocked by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ‘Oplan Kandado’ last week here.
The sympathy and support came from officers and members of the Roxas City Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Capiz Halaran Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Capiz Citizens Action Group (Volunteer Fire Fighting Brigade), Capiz Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Operator of Capiz Cabs Taxi), Capiz Visitors & Convention Bureau, Inc., Capiz Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise Development Council, and fellow members of the business sector of Roxas City and Capiz province.
In a statement, they said that they jointly sympathize with their colleague, the Apaitan family whose department store and drug store situated at Burgos Street, Roxas City, in light of recent events leading to the temporary closure of said business establishments by BIR.
They also said that they have known the Apaitan family, to be hardworking and conscientious business persons, through the years having successfully built (and protected) the hard earned goodwill and reputation of their business enterprises, and manifesting strong socio-civic responsibility (being perceived by the local business community as responsible taxpayers) or having paid their fair share of taxes due our Government;
“We know Apaitan to be a self made young entrepreneur, highly regarded by his peers in the business community for his investment contributions to the local community: transforming Black and White Supermarket into one of the leading supermarkets in Capiz Province and Northern Panay Island, pioneering the development of Roxas City’s Nightlife and Tourism industry with what was before considered “risky” investments in the Grandville Entertainment Complex and Capiz Cabs (experimental brand-new, air conditioned taxicabs which became the 2nd in the whole country to have meter issuing receipts) - thereby significantly contributing to the dynamism of the local economy; providing employment and livelihood opportunities to suppliers, retailers/sari sari store owners, and providing more choices to empowered consumers,” the group said in their statement of support.
They also said that while they support the BIR’s drive to increase tax collections (the same being the lifeblood of our nation) and to go after erring tax evaders who deliberately choose to evade paying the proper taxes, They sincerely appeal to the BIR’s Oplan Kandado Program to review its findings charging Black & White Supermart and B&W Drugstore, with Value Added Tax (VAT) deficiencies of P64,078,844.55 and back taxes of P1,970,944.91, respectively, within a period of only 15 months (January2008-March2009), said amounts if imposed, we as members of the local community believe (considering said enterprise’s asset size) would be most unfair to proponents, the Apaitan family and Black & White Supermarket/B&W Drugstore, and would go against the basic principles of Equitable and Fair Taxation.
“In the interest of Apaitan’s department store and pharmacy’s more than 100 direct and 250 indirect employees, suppliers, retailers and clients, we URGENTLY ASK that the BIR Closure Order effected last 25 August 2009, be LIFTED at the SOONEST POSSIBLE TIME, this being based on our understanding that there seemed to have been honest lapses in communication considering that Apaitan committed beforehand to settle its tax obligations based on the counter tax computation of said findings by August 31, 2009,” the group added.