P4.5 B tax target eyed

By EJ Dominic Fernandez
With a 22.6-percent surge in tax revenues in 2013, Davao City is looking to collect P4.5 billion next year.
Davao City Treasurer Rodrigo Riola made this announcement after confirming the increase in tax collection for the third straight year.
Guesting during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM Ecoland Annex, Riola bared the city’s target based on their potential tax base which is an increase from last year’s P 4.3 billion collection.
According to data on business permit collection prepared by the city treasurer’s office, as of January 31, 2013, the city has already collected P589,141,208 registering a 22.6-percent increase compared to the P480,315,493 collected in the same period last year.
Riola said that with this statistics, CTO estimated that in 2013, the city will be able to collect P4.5 billion.
Riola commended the business firms in Davao City for their cooperation saying, “the business climate and the business activities in Davao City are much improved this year.”
Business bureau chief lawyer Tristan Dwight Domingo also attributed the increase in tax collection to the employees of the city treasurer’s office and the business bureau.
“I don’t want to take all the credit, majority of the credit should go to the employees of the city treasurer’s office and the business bureau,” Domingo said.
“In my personal assessment the trust of the business owners in the leaders of the city is such that they pay their taxes religiously,” he said, adding that efficient systems of processing application for business permits and renewals this year are also some positive factors behind the much improved tax collection this year.
Domingo said that despite being shorthanded in manpower, his office was able to handle the tremendous increase in transactions. “We were still able to deliver a very good performance,” he said.
To be able to collect more taxes this year, Domingo believes that further improvement in the system of processing business permits should be implemented. He also pointed out the need of improving mechanisms aimed at making it easy and convenient for taxpayers to transact business with the city government.