Hike in night market fees explained
The local government underscored that the funds that will be generated from the slight increase in the regulatory fees from the operation of the night market will be used to enhance the delivery of basic services where the vendors will also benefit from among other purposes.
Last May 29, 2022, the City Treasury Office (CTO) started collecting from the participating night market vendors the P500 weekly regulatory fees that coincided with the expansion of the slots from 1.5 by 1.5 meters to 2 by 2 meters pursuant to Executive Order (EO) No. 62, series of 2022 issued on May 25, 2022.
Marietta Alvarez, CTO Supervising Administrative Officer and current officer-in-charge of the market division, stated that the increase in the weekly regulatory fees being paid by the night market vendors was a product of their consensus during a meeting last May 18, 2022.
She claimed that more than 80 percent of the attendees of the said meeting voted in favor of the increase in the weekly regulatory fees from P350 to P500 after Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong explained to them the reasons on why the local government will be increasing the prevailing fees for the said nightly activity.
The CTO official emphasized that the mayor was candid in informing them that the local government’s resources were already depleted because of the enormous expenses that were incurred in the implementation of the aggressive pandemic response that is why city officials went to request for funding support from higher authorities.
According to her, the funds that will be generated will be used to augment whatever available resources that will be earmarked for the provision of the needed assistance to individuals in crisis situations, medical aid among other social welfare programs, projects and activities of the local government.
Alvarez disclosed that prior to the Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019 pandemic, there was a plan by the local government to increase the weekly regulatory fees of the night market operation to around P700 but the same was shelved because of the heavy impact that was inflicted by the pandemic to the established economic activities and sources of livelihood of the people.
She narrated that after explaining the reasons for the increase in the weekly night market regulatory fees, the mayor left the meeting area to allow the participating vendors to decide on the increase that will be affected that will be affordable to them for the time being.
She emphasized that the previous regulatory fee for the night market was already outdated that is why the local government decided to increase the same to a reasonable level in consultation with the concerned sectors for them to provide their suggestions and recommendations on what will be the amount that will be affordable to the affected vendors. – Dexter A. See
