BAGUIO CITY – The City Treasury Office reported it will aggressively implement appropriate strategies to ensure the collection of over P2.03 billion by the city government as projected income collection this year.
City Treasurer Alex Cabarrubias said that while the city government continues to exceed its projected income collection annually, the excess collections are not really that big in helping fund the implementation of major development projects programmed by the city.
He disclosed that based on the projections of the local government this year, the income collection is more than P200 million higher compared to last year’s collections aside from the fact that Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong mandated the city’s local finance committee to ensure the collection of at least P300 million income from whatever available sources.
Among the strategies lined up by the City Treasury Office for the city government to achieve the projected income collection include the submission of a proposed ordinance for the increase in business taxes, sewerage and garbage fees and other fees being levied by the city, the auction of the properties of delinquent taxpayers, the examination of the books of accounts of businesses operating in the city and other feasible interventions that will sustain the improvement in the city’s financial position.
The city treasurer claimed that after March 31, 2020, the city government will ascertain the properties of delinquent taxpayers to be subjected to auction proceedings as a strategy to ensure increased income for the city government to fund the implementation of administration priority development projects and enhance the delivery of basic services to its constituency.
According to him, there are some 12 trained personnel of the office who can examine the books of accounts of businesses and will be deployed to do their task on businesses to ascertain true level of actual sales vis-à-vis the taxes they paid.
Cabarrubias expressed his gratitude to the members of the city council for approving the revised schedule of market values of real properties, particularly land, but the projected income from such measure will only be realized next year as the same will take effect by 2021.
He added the proposed increase in business taxes and other fees being collected by the city government will be submitted to the City Council for appropriate action after the legal questions on the projected increase in fees and taxes shall have passed the review of the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).
Last year, the city government generated some P1.89 billion in actual income from the different internal and external sources that range from the internal revenue allotment, taxes and fees and share from the operation of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), among others.
By Dexter A. See
Photo by: Armando Bolislis
