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Baguio City gov’t to collect rent from copiers

BAGUIO CITY (Nov. 7) — Photocopying shops at the premises of the city hall and other public buildings under the city government will be shelling out at least P2,500 in monthly rentals and electricity once the proposed policy guidelines for their operations is adopted and enforced.

After discussing en banc the committee report of the council Committee on Ethics, Governmental Affairs and Personnel (GAP), which Councilor Leandro B. Yangot, Jr. heads, the council deferred its action.

According to the computations by the Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), which City General Services Officer (GSO) Romeo Concio presented to the city council, each photocopier consumes 211.2 kwh monthly or 9.6 kwh average daily consumption. Multiplying this energy consumption by P6.7813, the prevailing rate of energy, he came up with P1,432.21.

The proposed rental for a space not more than two meters is P1,000. Councilor Edilberto Tenefrancia suggested that the amount be rounded off, which came up with P2,500.

In January 2005 the GSO conducted a survey on energy consumption and space rentals incurred by private copier operators in private commercial buildings. Said survey revealed that in Bonifacio Street the rentals range from P1,000 to P2,000 per machine while the energy consumption ranged from P250 to P500 per machine. There were shops that charged space rentals inclusive of energy.

Aside from the monetary considerations, the councilors proposed a re-assigning of space for each of the copier shops to ease the flow of people at the main entrance of the city hall.

However, Councilor Galo Weygan suggested the installation of a separate meter per copier. Concio said he would as the Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) for sub-meters.

There are at least six privately operated copier machines at the city hall, two of which are at the City Library premises and another at the Baguio Health Department. The Association of City Hall Employees also operates a copier but the space rental has been waived in its favor.

At present, each copier pays for business permit fees and other fees. No rental and electricity is collected from them, pending approval of the measure.

Concio also told the council that the originally proposed general policy for the operation of copier machines in public buildings here charges P2,000 to cover energy and space rental but some councilors then found it too high. Then Mayor Bernardo Vergara approved the policy. # Lyn V. Ramo for NORDIS

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