By Gio J. Tanudtanud
THE COOPERATIVE Development Authority (CDA) offered an amnesty and rehabilitation program for cooperatives issued with a show cause order and order of dissolution to give them a chance to comply with the requirements.
During the Kapihan sa PIA at NCCC Victoria Plaza on Feb 2, Atty. Earl Larroder, CDA XI legal officer, said this will be the first time their office is offering relief to beleaguered cooperatives.
He urged cooperatives to avail of the program, which staggers penalty fees and allows them to catch up to regain compliance status. The certificate of compliance (COC) is a prerequisite for co-ops to secure business permits and enjoy tax exemptions.
“Yan ang document ng cooperative for them to function as a business entity. So, this amnesty is very important because there’s a due date kaya nga it’s a one-time,” he said.
According to CDA XI data, 882 of the 1,000 estimated cooperatives in the region were compliant. So, roughly 200 or 300 are at risk of being dissolved.
He said the program will possibly start in the last week of February until April 30, 2024, although there’s no final date yet.
The CDA XI issues a show-cause order, which allows the cooperative to explain why it should not suffer the penalty for non-compliance. The dissolution order, meanwhile, prohibits the co-op from further operating.
He said cooperatives with the order of cancellation are not eligible for the program.
“For those coops who will not avail until April 30, 2024, of the amnesty, you are automatically issued with an order of cancellation,” he said.
