The Lim administration is not relenting in its opposition to the planned fifty percent discount being hatched by the city council for occupants of the second floor of the Malimgas Public Market in Dagupan City.

City Administrator Rafael Baraan denounced the scheme as “ill-conceived, ill-timed, and questionable” and he described the city councilors who proposed it as “ill-advised”.

“If you give that (50 percent discount) to second floor occupants what will prevent the others from asking for the same treatment,” Baraan said.

He reminded the councilors that there are other public markets in the city aside from the Malimgas Market. These include the facilities on Galvan Street and the market building across A.B. Fernandez Avenue where the old Ma-Kong Restaurant once stood.

Baraan said the proposal of the councilors would no doubt open the floodgates for similar requests leaving the city government suffering more instead of gaining from it.

Engr. Boy Nazareno, Malimgas market administrator, attested that present stallholders in other floors will demand for the same discount scheme if the city government decides to extend it to new and temporary occupants at the second floor.

“Hindi raw sila papayag na ang second floor lang ang maka-avail ng discount. Dapat daw pati sila,” said Nazareno who foresees serious complications for the city government if the plan pushes through.

Last week, City Treasurer Romelita Alcantara expressed her own opposition to the plan saying it will prevent the city government from realizing its target revenues for the year.

But despite Baraan’s and Alcantara’s objections, the city council’s committees on market and slaughterhouse chaired by Councilor Alex de Venecia, and finance, chaired by Councilor Michael Fernandez, will proceed with their hearings on a draft ordinance seeking to enforce a 50 percent discount only for the period October to December.

Accusing members of the city council of trying to earn some ‘pogi’ points for the 2007 elections, Baraan questioned why the discount scheme is being offered now just when business is starting to peak.

There would have been no question about their motives, he said, had the scheme been proposed during the lean months, when business was sluggish as he pointed out that the main reason why the original stallholders at the second floor returned their stalls was not because of the high stall lease rates but because the stallholders lacked capital to sustain their operations.

Baraan maintained that the rentals at the Malimgas Public Market are competitive compared to the stall rental fees in La Trinidad, Benguet; and Baguio City.

Ultimately, he attributed the timing of the discount scheme to the political agenda of the councilors seeking reelection. “What is the motive of the councilors in offering that?” he asked.

He wondered why the councilors who are aware of the poor revenues being collected in the Malimgas Market, would insist on still giving a 50% discount. — AQL

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