THE Cebu City government collected over P2.5 billion in revenue for the first quarter of this year, the bulk of which came from business taxes.
Acting City Treasurer Veronica Morelos said the amount was around P200 million higher than last year’s first quarter revenue collection or an eight percent increase.
“Gikan January to March karong tuiga naa tay tanang collection nga P2,532,855,049.26,” Morelos said.
(Our collections from January to March this year totaled P2,532,855,049.26)
The city treasurer said that the revenue came from business taxes, clearances, and markets among others.
“Actually we are intensifying our collection especially from those renewing their business permits,” Morelos said in Cebuano.
She, however, admitted that some business establishments have not yet renewed their permits nor paid their taxes.
Of the 33,000 registered businesses in the city, Morelos said that only more or less 30,000 establishments renewed their permits.
“Sa ato pa duna pa g’yud 3,000 ang wala ni renew. Ato nana silang gipang-inspect. Gasige nata og send nila og demand letter,” Morelos said.
(There are still 3,000 establishments that have not yet renewed their permits. We already inspected some of these businesses and sent them demand letters.)
Morelos said that as early as February, the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) started inspecting business in some barangays and conducted “business tax mapping” in order to identify registered and unregistered establishments.
“In fact, we already inspected establishments in barangays Sto. Niño, Ermita and those other barangays which are near at City Hall,” Morelos said.
Despite the lack of personnel under CTO to check establishments, Morelos said that they are optimistic to inspect all 80 barangays in the city.
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