NEWS: “Stall rental in bond float seems excessive”- Gov. Uy
“Morag taas ra gyud” (It seems exorbitant).
This was the opinion of Compostela Valley Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy when informed of the schedule of rentals of stalls and spaces based on the feasibility study of the P90-million bond flotation which seeks to fund for the construction of a new public market building in Nabunturan town.
The governor was informed that the feasibility study showed that a minimum of 10-square meter could readily have a monthly rental of over P9,000.
He was apprised last Saturday by Boardmember Atty. Dexter Lopoz, who is opposing in the provincial board the municipal resolution approving the bond flotation project pushed by Mayor Macario Humol.
The resolution is scheduled to be taken up on plenary this coming Wednesday’s session of the provincial board after the matter was not calendared in the agenda last week.
Earlier, the joint committee of finance and legal matters recommended for the approval of the said resolution with a main ground that the legal review powers of the provincial board is limited and hence it could not question the wisdom of the bond flotation of the proponent municipality, a contention opposed by Lopoz and several of his colleagues.
Gov. Uy said that the monthly rental appears to be not affordable to small vendors although he said he has still to see for himself the papers and feasibility study of the bond flotation.
He said he would further probe on this complaint even as he said he would take a hands-off position to the controversial issue if parties would reach to courts.
The bond flotation has been protested by oppositor taxpayers and stall renters and market vendors of the old market building which was razed to the ground by a fire three years ago.
Oppositors charged that the bond flotation pushed by Mayor Humol and Vice Romeo Mayor and his majority of councilors is exorbitant and too expensive and its terms are grossly disadvantageous to the government as earlier nixed even in a comparative study made by the town’s local finance committee.
They charged as expensive and exorbitant the fees and other charges which included the P6.5 million for the architectural and engineering design alone which they dubbed as “sa papel pa lang” and other hidden fees, high interest rates, and other charges and expenditures that are much greater than or unnecessary if the municipal government resorts to mere bank borrowing.
Small stall renters and vendors in the town’s market have earlier expressed fear they would be dislocated from the project as the new public market to be constructed would have higher monthly rentals and advances which they said they could hardly afford.
Local oppositors have already mapped various legal actions including administrative case, recall and appeal for review by Department of Justice.
They charged that a project that is grossly disadvantageous to the government is violative in itself to Republic Act No. 3019, otherwise known as Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com
