Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim ordered to abolish the ordinance charging fees on application forms from business and occupation applicants in the city of Manila.
Lim commanded Bureau of Permits Assistant Director
Senen Tomada to stop the collection of P15.00 fee from every applicant.
“It (ordinance) was enacted on May 29,
2000. It was passed by the previous Mayor. I didn’t know about the said
charging (of application forms),” Mayor Lim said in Filipino in a press release
by the Manila City Hall.
Lim knew about the fee charged on
application forms after a series of complaints reached his office on September
9.
“I will make communication to repeal the
ordinance. It would be unfair to immediately charge prospective applicants,” said
Lim.
According to Tomada, the fee for
application forms was in accordance with Ordinances No. 7718 and its amendatory
measure, Ordinance No. 7996, signed by former Mayor Jose L. Atienza.
Applicants were charged during initial
applications only. Although it is part of the city’s overall revenue, collected
amounts were used for the purchase and printing of the forms.
Based from the receipts issued to
applicants, an estimated P200,000 is collected every year.
According to Lim, the city government will
shoulder the printing expenses of application forms after the abolishment of
the ordinance.
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