The Bacolod City government posted an 11 percent increase in tax collection in 2007 compared to 2006 and exceeded its target this year by P20 million despite the crisis, Permits and Licensing head Ardis Jaculina said yesterday.

Records from the City Treasurer's Office show that the city's total tax collection from January to December 2007 is P220,026,974.30 compared to P197,406435.30 in 2006 covering the same period.

Jaculina also said they expect to collect more or less P240 million in 2008 because the city has improved the computerization of its one-stop-shop at the BAYS Center which is now on line with the main server at City Hall, as promised by Mayor Evelio Leonardia in 2007. She said the Mayor spent P97,000 for the installation of the equipment, and by Jan. 2 they were ready for the computerization of the BAYS Center for its one-stop-shop.

Jaculina said their target collection for 2007 was only 200 million based on the records of the CTO. She attributed the increase in business tax collection and regulatory fees and miscellaneous taxes to the enhancement by the city government of its one-stop-shop at the BAYS Center that has made the procedure and processing friendly to its tax payers.

She said this has helped reduce processing time and encouraged the business sector to pay their taxes.

They have also provided a suggestion box and have received positive feedback from taxpayers who said they are satisfied with the service at the BAYS Center . However, they suggested that the assessment be done also at the BAYS Center , she said.

“We wanted to promise them that but we reminded them that by January next year, we will be at the new government center where the one-stop-shop will be in only one area,” Jaculina said.

She said the one-stop-shop of the Bacolod City government won the Anvil national award for its excellence in business performance during the national convention of the League of Cities of the Philippines in Manila in 2006.

In 2007 it was again cited by the LCP as one of the best practices in the cities of the whole Philippines , she said, adding that it was one major factor that made Bacolod City win the Most Business Friendly City in the whole country award from the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Jaculina said she would like to inform everyone that, based on the Local Government Code and the Revenue Code of the City of Bacolod , the last day of filing renewal of business permits and payment of regulatory fees and business taxes was Jan. 20 but this was extended by the city to Jan. 31.

After Jan. 31, the taxpayers will be charged with a 25 percent surcharge and a two percent interest for every month of delay in payment, she said. The one-stop-shop at the BAYS Center is ready to serve the general public until Feb. 29 to give all the taxpayers and business sectors easy access to all departments to secure their clearances, she added.*CGS

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