City treasurer justifies 100% increase in market fees
Despite the protests from market vendors, the city government is firm in its position to implement the new tax rates in the public markets.
City Treasurer Katherine Tingson said the increase in the rentals and entrance fees is needed to offset the expenses incurred by the city government in running the city's different markets.
Tingson said the increase was decided to lessen the gap between the income of the market and the corresponding operational expenses. The decision to increase was reached based on the markets' comparative report.
In last Friday's hearing conducted by the committee on ways and means of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Tingson said the income collected by the city government is not enough to cover the incurred expenses. She, however, did not specifically say how much the city is losing in its market operation.
The committee hearing was called for upon the request of Mayor Jerry Treñas in response to the call of the vendors to lower the more than 100 percent increase in the rentals and entrance fees imposed by the city government under its new local tax ordinance.
Tingson said the increase in rentals and entrance fees currently being imposed was the same computation designed by the treasurer's office in 1998. She said there was no increase on rentals and entrance fees in the city's markets in the last five years.
During the hearing, Rex Donasco, president of the Iloilo Central Market Vendors Association said they are only asking for the reconsideration of the city officials to lower the rate of increase of rentals and entrance fees. He said the business is not doing good in the markets with the entry of malls.
Donasco added they will also demand for the "right facility" as they are paying the right taxes. "The city must be sensible' to the needs of the vendors. There should be a win-win solution for both the city government and the vendors," he said.
Presently, the vendors are the one's spending for the repair of their respective stalls as the city government made no improvements on facilities inside the market, said Donasco.
The vendors from the different markets were hoping that city government will hear their pleas and eventually decide to lower the rates.