ON TARGET. The city government has collected 45 percent of its PHP2.7 billion fiscal collection goal for 2024, boosting optimism of hitting the full-year target. As of end-April, the local government has collected about PHP1.205 billion, Assistant City Treasurer Fernando Ragma said in a report Friday (May 31, 2024). (PNA file photo)
BAGUIO CITY – The city government is confident of hitting its PHP2.74 billion collection target for 2024, with at least 45 percent already collected in the first four months of the year.
Assistant Treasurer Fernando Ragma said the city government collected PHP1.205 billion from Jan. 1 to April 30, or 12 percent higher compared to the PHP1.074 billion collection during the same period last year.
“We are confident that we can meet the target collection by the end of the year because of the aggressive efforts to collect what is due the local government in terms of fees,” he said in a statement.
The city’s PHP410.812 million share from the national tax allotment comprised the bulk of the collection to date, at, followed by business tax and other taxes, PHP390.650 million; fees, PHP177.025 million; real property tax with advance payment, PHP110.890; share from the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, PHP62.733 million; miscellaneous fees and charges, PHP25.486 million; proceeds from the sale of local government assets, PHP15.309 million; and interest income, PHP13.076 million.
Aileen Refuerzo, city chief information officer, said the joint teams from the permits and licensing division, along with those from the health and sanitation and Bureau of Fire Protection, are regularly checking sanitation, legitimacy of operation, fire safety, and business permits of business establishments, boarding houses and transient houses.
“It is a holistic approach for safety and collection of taxes, fees and regulatory charges by the city government. This way, the city would know whether to levy or issue notices of violations that would lead to collection of money for the city’s coffers,” she said. (PNA)
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