Naga gives booster jabs to traders at BOSS

By Jason B. Neola

Unlike in previous years, traders in Naga City this year were seen not only queuing to pay their taxes for their respective businesses during the operations of the Business One Stop Shop (BOSS), they were also seen lining up to get a booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccines.

A booster shot helps an individual to acquire a longer-term protection from their two doses of the vaccine against getting seriously ill from Covid-19.

On Monday, Jan. 3, during BOSS’ first day of operations, many business owners than last year were seen lining up to pay for their business permits. Out of 343 who queued, 84 were able to secure permits on that day.

The City Treasurer’s Office, which established a tax amount of more than P5 million in business tax assessment on that day, was able to make an actual collection of P1.2 million in business taxes on the same day. Collections for the second (Jan. 4) and third (Jan. 5) days were not yet made available.

BOOSTER SHOT Traders securing permits for their businesses queue for a booster shots at the Naga City People’s Hall where the Business One Stop Shop goes on from Jan. 3-31. JBN/RB/CEPPIO

Hubert Brocales, Naga City Contact Tracing and Monitoring Center coordinator, said that on the same day also, they were able to register 258 BOSS clients who got jabbed with booster dose while on the second day, 162; and on the third day, 140.

Acting City Treasurer Maricor Gayanilo said that she is expecting the number of business taxpayers to increase several days ahead considering the re-opening of businesses that improves, to some extent, the business situation in the city.

The operations of local industries in Naga becomes livelier during the fourth quarter of 2021 when Covid-19 daily cases gone down even to zero for a number of times. The situation was followed by the city government’s coming up with localized guidelines placing the entire city under alert level 2.

The localized guidelines have given way to more establishments in the city to operate at 100 percent on-site or venue/seating capacity provided that they implement minimum public health standards. The guidelines also allowed activities to be undertaken at a maximum of 50 percent indoor venue capacity for vaccinated individuals and 70 percent outdoor venue capacity, provided that all workers/employees of the establishments are fully vaccinated and the minimum public health standard shall be strictly maintained.