BAGUIO CITY – The City Treasury Officer (CTO) collected more than P690.1 million in taxes from various types of taxpayers in the city during the first quarter of this year.
Assistant City Treasurer Ponciano de Jesus reported that the collected taxes is 37.58 percent of the local government’ target collection of P1.836 billion for the whole year.
In terms of real property taxes, including advance payments, the actual collection of the CTO was P63.88 which is 59.70 percent of the target real property tax collection of P107 million.
On the other hand, de Jesus claimed that more than P246.49 million in business taxes was collected by the CTO during the first quarter of the year, 66.45 percent of the target collection of P370.95 million.
On fees and charges, the local government collected P118.98 million during the first quarter of this year, 42.62 percent of the target collection of P279.14 million for the whole year.
De Jesus added the local government only received from the national government over P208.84 million as Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) which is only 25.19 percent of the supposed PO829.20 million IRA of the highly urbanized city for this year.
Further, Baguio City received more than P22.73 million share from the operation of the Loakan-based Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), 10.83 percent compared to the target collection of P210 million for the whole year.
Under the PEZA law, host local governments are entitled to directly receive from PEZA 40 percent of the gross receipts of the economic zones that are located within their areas of jurisdiction.
On interest income, the CTO collected more than P23.92 million for the first quarter of this year, 79.74 percent compared to the targeted collection of P30 million for the whole year while in terms of miscellaneous fees, the said office collected P797,918 for the first quarter of this year which is 36.27 percent compared to the P2.2 million target collection this year.
In terms of the remittance of the State-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for the operation of bingo parlors and lotto as well as keno outlets, the CTO collected only 139,319.21 for the first quarter, a mere 1.74 percent compared to the P8 million projected income from the said lottery games this year alone.
On the actual sale of assets, the local government earned some P4.34 million during the first quarter of this year while it collected P45.72 million of the city’s Special Education Fund (SEF) for the same period this year which is 67.39 percent compared to the P67.85 million projected SEF for this year.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan commended the officials and employees of the CTO for their sustained aggressiveness in collecting from the taxpayers the taxes due to the city to help improve the delivery of services by the local government to the people.
By Dexter A. See
