Numerous business owners in Puerto Peñasco gathered today, July 9th, in front of the offices of the local Chamber of Commerce (CANACO) before making their way to City Hall where they presented a request that the cost of “operational license permits” be lowered, amount which they consider to be excessive as recent notices sent out top 7800 pesos (over $500 US).
Puerto Peñasco CANACO President Guillermo Muñoz Fierro, speaking on behalf of local businesses, whether or not affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce, presented City Secretary Oscar Villavicencio with a proposal to consider charging a fee more in line with cities in the region not above 300 pesos.
The CANACO representative stressed business owners in various fields of work are willing to comply with regulations to pay fees including taxes, property tax, and late fees once the proposal to lower the operational license fee to 300 pesos is taken into consideration.
For his part, the City Secretary indicated the operational licensing fee is a measure that had been approved by City Council yet will be reviewed with council members so that an agreement may be reached with the business community.
Just last week, notices regarding this charge were sent out to approximately 200 businesses, demanding payment within a period of three days. This process, and further notifications, were stopped by the Director of Public Projects and Urban Development, Engineer José Luis Villalobos, after meeting with CANACO representatives on July 8th.
Following today’s meeting at City Hall, CANACO Treasurer Lucy Bustamante explained, “Our position is founded on the law, and we are also citing cases in other cities where the corresponding tax is much lower. There is much to be done. The next step is to wait for a response from the City so they can explain their stance. If they do not take our request into consideration we will then pursue further proposals and talk about how to best proceed.”
If any local business receives such a notice “requerimiento”, the local Chamber of Commerce invites you to visit their offices (whether or not you are a member) so that the number may be recorded and a copy made of the notification. The Puerto Peñasco Chamber of Commerce office (CANACO) is located on the east side of Shrimp Park on Calle Coahuila (down from the Fire Dept. next to Plaza Pelicanos).
