LINGAYEN–Businessmen in this capital town are protesting against a flea market called “baratillo” operated by mostly ambulant vendors along service roads in the town’s commercial area.

Stallholders at the Magic Mart, Three Kings, Centro Mart and the Lingayen Public Market have complained against the flea market and questioned why the municipal government has given the operators authority to trade in the area, which is along the service roads of the three commercial establishments.

The vendors, mostly members of a local Muslim association, were reported to have been given a concession to operate the baratillo until the town fiesta in January next year is over.

The market stall owners said the baratillo presents unfair competition as the ambulant vendors do not pay the regular taxes and permit fees imposed on permanent businesses.

“Business has gone terribly poor,” a stall owner complained, adding that the continued poor sales could continue until the shopping season for the coming Christmas holidays because of the flea market.

Further, according to the stall owners’ association, tents were set up just in front of the row of regular stalls, barring customers’ access to them.

“We cannot even load or unload now our goods in front of our stalls because the service roads are being occupied by the baratillo vendors,” she pointed out.

Another businessman complained about the deterioration anew of sanitary conditions in the area since the flea market was allowed to operate.

The protesting local businessmen have also protested the inaction of the local government, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) against the ambulant-cum-flea market vendors who conduct business everyday yet do not bother to secure permits.

“This is ridiculous they get preferential treatment even since they (baratillo vendors) yet they are not required to pay their taxes like all of us,” a lady spokesperson of the Lingayen Market Stallowners Association said.

“As a revenue collections agency, the BIR should go after these tax evaders, in the same manner that the DTI should enforce quality trade regulations, including checking on fake goods being sold to the public,” she added.

The association is now considering the filing of administrative charges and a formal complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against BIR revenue district officer Irine Goze based in Alaminos City and concerned DTI officials for failing to enforce revenue regulations against the baratillo vendors. –LM

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