CEBU City Councilor Jack Jakosalem is asking the council to grant SGG Sports Promotion a full amusement tax exemption for their Sept. 30 boxing promotion at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City.
The resolution by Jakosalem, the chairman of the committee on amusement, sports and professional games, will be filed at the council next week. If granted, promoter Sammy Gello-ani will not have to pay the 30 percent amusement tax that will be collected by the Cebu City government.
“Usually we reduce the 30 percent amusement tax to 10 but for events like this, which is aimed not for profit but for the promotion of the sport and Cebu City, we will totally give full exemption to the promoters as our way of helping them,” Jakosalem told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
The City Council has already given full amusement tax exemption to SGG promotions last Feb. 24 for the “Battle of Cebu, the Moment of Truth” held at the Cebu City Sports Center.
SGG promotions and the ALA Gym were also the principal players when the Philippines unseated Mexico in the Boxing World Cup held last August in Sacramento, California.
One of the successful fighter in the World Cup is AJ “Bazooka” Banal, a youthful phenomenon from Barangay Ermita who is also fighting on Sept. 30.
The undefeated ALA Boy Banal will try to win his first boxing title—the WBO youth super flyweight title against Mexican Genaro Camargo.
Another ALA Boy, Donnie “Ahas” Nietes, will headline the card as he fight for the vacant WBO minimum-weight world title against undefeated Pornsawan Kratingdaenggym of Thailand for 12 rounds.
Four more titles—three WBO Asia-Pacific titles and a Philippine national title—-are also at stake in this card.
“Whereas, this tournament intends as it always does, to showcase Cebu City as a prime destination for world-class quality sports in view of the fact that foreign nationalities from Thailand, Mexico, Indonesia and Korea will participate thereon,” Jakosalem said in his resolution.
Last Wednesday, Jakosalem was successful in asking his fellow councilors to grant SGG Promotions to put up 200 banners and streamers free of cost.
“Every banner or streamer that will be placed in the center isle along major routes of the city are to be charged. But I was able to ask the council to allow SGG Promotions to put 200 streamers and banners for free. Next week I’ll be filing the tax exemption resolution, which I believe will be also approved in mass motion since this has always been the thrust of Mayor Tommy.,” Jakosalem said.
Jakosalem has also offered his expertise to SGG Promotions to help find sponsors, while the city will also give additional support such as traffic management, security at the venue and police assistance.
