WITH over two decades without raising taxes for the industrial sector, it’s now the right time for the city of Valenzuela to revisit its code for this particular sector.
In the first place, they are the ones that largely benefit from the infrastructure facilities being built and maintained by the local government like roads and bridges, among others.
Mayor Rex Gatchalian clarifies that the proposed tax hike will be made only for the industrial like factories and warehouses and not for small and medium-sized enterprises.
“I believe it’s about time to hike taxes for the industrial sector because it’s exactly 22 years the last time an increase was made and, besides, the city government was already named by the Department of Finances as one of the local government units that did not raise taxes for decades,” he says.
The former lawmaker-turned-mayor was expected to have met with representatives of the concerned sector, specifically the Philippine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in order to come up with a tax formula that “should be borne out of consensus between the end-users and the city government.”
“We have to give a room to breathe, thus, we need to generate new income to finance the city’s needs and its pro-poor and pro-people programs and projects,” Mayor Gatchalian says.
He adds: “At saka dapat naman siguro na tumulong sa ating pamahalaan itong meron at malalaking kapitalista sa pagtataguyod ng lungsod dahil hindi naman nagpapabaya ang huli sa pagpapaunlad ng s’yudad.”
Meanwhile, he urges anew the residents to take advantage of the on-going tax amnesty in order to avoid huge penalties and interests.
We learned that the city council has passed the multiple tax ordinance designed primarily to impose the tax amnesty which will also benefit those at the industrial sector like factories if they will have their voluntary disclosure of equipment and machineries that they haven’t been declared to be taxable.
The city government will not collect back taxes for their voluntary disclosure and for property owners all they have to do is to pay for the principal not interest as what the tax amnesty is meant for, according to the city chief executive.
Reiterating his call to the residents to take advantage of the tax amnesty as the same is not expected to be implemented as frequent as possible, he says the scheme is the best solution for the local government to collect additional funds for the city’s vital needs.
The city government is being considerate enough on the economic condition of the residents who have to spend to repair for their damaged houses, among others, due to typhoon and other calamities instead of paying their tax obligations, the mayor explains.
With the tax amnesty, the local government has eased the residents’ burden from paying their taxes minus penalties and interests and, at the same time, helping the city from generating funds.
There you go. GOOD RIDDANCE/ARLIE CALALO