The plant manager of the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse in Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod City, was warned by Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella yesterday that the city will terminate the operation of the facility if it fails to comply the provisions of the contract entered into by AVM Bernardo Engineering and the Bacolod City Government.
The city might also take over the operation of the slaughterhouse if it could handle it someday, Puentevella said, during the hearing conducted by the Committee on Markets chaired by Councilor Sonya Verdeflor on the request of AVM Bernardo Engineering to impose 12 percent VAT on slaughtering fees. Puentevella said he ordered the review of the MOA after the meat shop vendors complained that the slaughterhouse operator plans to pass on to them the 12 percent VAT being imposed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. He asked why they are imposing the 12 percent VAT only now. He also pointed out that the slaughterhouse operator has not submitted its annual report and evaluation of the operation of the slaughterhouse. Puentevella said if they do not comply, the city will terminate its operation or allow them to operate, but will put up another slaughterhouse to give the people a choice. Plant manager Glorydee Cometa said they only imposed the 12 percent VAT recently because it was only early this year that their official receipt was issued. Marvin Tañada, legal counsel of AVM Bernardo, said this is a national law set forth in Section 105 of the Internal Revenue Code, which states that the VAT is imposed on any trader, manufacturer or retailer and can be passed on to buyers. Any tax which may be imposed is not inclusive of the slaughtering rates based on Article 4 of Section 15 and is allowed by the MOA, he said. Michael Yusingco, president of the Meat Vendor's Association of Bacolod, said they oppose the imposition of 12 percent VAT, especially because prices of pork meat have increased. He said pork meat is P190 to P200 per kilo while beef is P200 per kilo and may reach P226 per kilo if they will be imposed additional taxes. Aside from the 12 percent VAT imposed by AVM Bernardo, they are paying the city P20 per hog and P60 per cattle daily, he added. Yusingco said the MOA is disadvantageous to them and to the city. He also complained about the facilities of the slaughterhouse and the way slaughtered animals are being handled. AVM Bernardo was issued a notice of violation last week by the City Legal Office and asked to correct its violations in accordance with the provisions of the MOA, following its review on the operation of the Bacolod City Slaughterhouse. The CLO cited that the operator failed to provide the machineries and equipment embodied in the agreement like cold storage facilities; cattle, hog, and poultry line equipment, among others. Present at the committee hearing were Councilor El Cid Familiaran, acting City Veterinarian Dr. Agueda de la Torre, acting City Treasurer Giovanni Balalilhe, acting Libertad Market Supervisor Portia Familiaran, Burgos Market Supervisor Kong Heng Ting, CLO Asset Management Case Review Committee head Cesar Beloria, and representatives of the CLO, City Health Office.*CGS BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO Visayan Daily Star
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
|