TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, March 13 (PIA) –The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Eastern Visayas requested on Thursday the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the local government units particularly the City of Tacloban to disapprove any application for business name and business permit of salt distributors operating without a license to operate (LTO).
The move is in connection with the intensified campaign on Republic Act 8172 otherwise known as an Act Promoting Salt Iodization Nationwide and for related purposes.
During the Regional Bantay Asin Task Force Meeting held Thursday at Hotel Alejandro, this city, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Head Supervisor Sonia Cabahit asked Tacloban City Sanitary Inspector Oscar Lapidario to require salt distributors to get a license to operate (LTO) before a permit will be issued to ensure that salt distributed and used in restaurants, food outlets and households are iodized.
However, a communication letter will be sent to the distributors as last recourse before a penalty will be imposed.
‘Until now, they have not complied yet except for River Valley Distributor (RVDI),” Cabahit said.
To date, only one salt distributor in Tacloban has applied for a license to operate as importer through electronic licensing.
Free licensing for salt distributors was offered free until February 2015 to give them ample time to get the application for LTO through electronic as mandated by law. (ajc/cba/PIA-8)
