BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved on first reading a proposed ordinance that seeks to amend pertinent provisions of Ordinance No. 2014-002 to increase the certification fees being collected by the city government from the transacting public.
The ordinance authored by Vice Mayor Faustino A. Olowan states that every person requesting for copies of official records and documents from any of the offices of the city government shall pay the amount of P15 for every page or fraction thereof that is typewritten, P15 where the copy to be furnished is in printed form, in whole or in part, for each page, double the said fee depending on the pages, P50 for each certificate of correctness with the seal of office written on the copy or attached thereto, P50 for certifying the official act of the municipal judge or other judicial certificate with sea;, P50 for certified copies of any paper, record, decree, judgement or entry of which a person is entitled to demand and receive copy in connection with judicial proceedings for each page, P15 for photo copy per page, P100 clearance or certifications issued by other city officials for every page or fraction thereof, P15 for other documents not specified, P5 for each additional copy of the above documents, P50 for verification of assessment records, P30 for A2 paper in the white or blue printing of tax maps or other plans, P50 for A1 paper for white or blue printing of tax maps or other plans and P100 research fee.
The ordinance claims that the fees being collected by the different offices of the city government have remained the lowest in comparison to those being collected by other highly urbanized cites and even first class municipalities amidst the lapse of time and the significant increases in the prices of basic commodities.
To equal the same and the fees collected by other offices with that of the city government, the ordinance notes the need to impose the required increase in the prevailing rates as requested by the concerned offices of city to conform with what is due and to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of the services without compromising the same for the satisfaction of the clients of the different offices.
Olowan admitted the existing certification rates being collected by the different offices of the city government are already outdated considering the lapse of time, thus, the filing of the amendatory ordinance is timely considering the desire of the city to increase its generated resources that will be used to fund the implementation of priority development projects and improve the delivery of basic services to the people in the different barangays of the city.
He claimed the prevailing fees imposed by the city government from its clients had remained stagnant through the years that is why it is important for the city to increase the same considering that even neighboring towns have already increased the fees they are charging from their clients for several times to conform with the current trend of the times.
The proposed amendatory ordinance was referred by the members of the city legislative body to the appropriate committee for study and recommendation whether or not there is a need to pass the measure on second and third readings for the city government to be able to realize the collection of the increased fees from their clients to allow the city to be able to collect the amount that will defray its cost of operation at least.
By Dexter A. See