Tacloban notes higher tax collection in first week of 2017

TACLOBAN CITY, Jan. 11 (PNA) – The city government here reported an eight percent increase in revenue collection during this year’s first week of business and real property tax payment and renewal compared to last year for the same period.

In the past five days, the city treasurer’s office collected more than PHP11 million, higher than the PHP10.85 million earnings from the same period last year or an increase of about PHP883,000. It has so far issued 179 business permits and renewed 412 business applications.

City treasurer Zosima Cordaño said this is significant since the local government under Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez has been aggressively inviting more business locators to the city.

According to Cordaño, local business operators will have until Jan. 20, 2017 to renew their business permits and licenses per City Revenue Ordinance 99-58 or be penalized with a 25 percent surcharge and a two percent interest per month.

She encouraged real property owners to avail of the 20 percent maximum discount by settling their tax payments on or before January 31.

As part of the city government’s revenue generation initiatives, the city treasurer’s office came up with innovations that would give taxpayers more ease in paying their taxes at the local business center. This is aside from the extended payment hours, which lasts until 8 p.m.

Cordaño said assessment and payment of real property taxes can now be done in one location, while business renewal have been streamlined into three steps.

“Queuing taxpayers are given forms to fill out in advance so when the time comes for them to pay at the cashier they just have to give the paper to the teller,” she said.

Five tellers are serving taxpayers at the business center, while additional collectors have been drafted to bring ease to taxpayers.

Bookkeepers are given a different schedule to process their payments so as not to compete with walk-in clients.

The city government hopes to meet its revenue collection target of more than PHP1 billion for 2017. Last year, it posted a 97 percent collection rate. (PNA)
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