THE National Food Authority (NFA) in Negros Occidental told grains businessmen and rice retailers in the province to renew their licenses and accreditation, respectively, to avoid penalties.
Frisco Canoy, provincial manager of NFA-Negros Occidental, said the agency has set the renewal period from January to June this year.
Canoy said there are assigned traders and retailers, from every cities and municipalities, every month.
For January, all grains businessmen and retailers from cities of Bacolod to Victorias must renew their licenses and accreditation.
The renewal for those from Bago City to Hinigaran is set in February; Sagay City to San Carlos City – March; Isabela, La Carlota City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Murcia and Salvador Benedicto – April; Binalbagan to Ilog – May; and Cauayan to Hinoba-an – June.
New applications, meanwhile, may be processed in any of the months. They are just required to follow the assigned period once they apply for renewal after a year.
"Renewal of licenses and accreditation is an annual activity of the NFA," he said, stressing that grains businessmen cannot be operated without the license while retailers cannot receive rice allocations without the accreditation.
Grains businessmen are those engaged in grains trading. The license issued by the NFA also covers selling of corn grains and feeds from rice or corn products.
The NFA-Negros Occidental records showed that for January, they expect to receive 420 renewal applications.
As of January 21, 165 grains businessmen and retailers have already processed their renewals and 16 for new applications.
All in all, there are 1,200 applications for renewal expected to be filed during the first half of the year.
Of which, 240 are in February; 180 – March; 120 – April; 120 – May, and 120 – June, it added.
In terms of penalties, failure to renew after a month is equivalent to a surcharge of 25 percent of the capitalization.
It will double, 50 percent, for two months, 75 percent in three months and will further surge to 100 percent if traders and retails fail to renew their licenses and accreditation after four months and above.
The license and registration fees, meanwhile, range depending on capitalization and lines of activity whether retailing, wholesaling, manufacturing, mechanical drying, and milling, among others.
In terms of requirements, sole proprietorship for renewals needs income tax return and financial statement in case the registrant is the one processing.
If it's through a representative, passport size picture and written authority are required on top of the two other requirements.
For the corporation, partnership, association or cooperative, the NFA requires a corporate income tax, information sheet submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), photo, and authorization if through a representative.
For individual new applicants, they are required to bring a photo, photocopy of the taxpayers identification number (TIN) card, and a sketch of business locations while corporations need authorization for representative, passport size photo, Articles of Incorporation, SEC Certificate of Registration, TIN, and sketch of business location.
Canoy said whoever is required to have license and accreditation even though they sell at least one sack of rice.
"As long as they display and sell on stores, they are required," he said, adding that measure helps the agency to ensure that grains businessmen and retailers are legit thereby protecting consumers from unscrupulous ones.
