Lapu-Lapu City Treasurer Felicitas Baguio. | CDN Digital photo Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Another bad year.
The Lapu-Lapu City Treasurer’s Office has continued to record a decline in their business tax collection in the past two years or since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Felicitas Baguio, city treasurer, said that the decline of their business tax collection can be attributed to the effect of the pandemic on the tourism-related industries in the city.
Baguio said that before the pandemic in 2019, the city has a business tax collection amounting to more than P1.2 billion, including its two percent share from the tax incentives of the Mactan Export Processing Zone (MEPZ) in their gross income.
But in 2020, the city’s business tax collection declined to only more than P1 billion and P990 million in 2021.
“Niubos uy pag 2019, wala paman to ang COVID taas to siya. Pag 2020 nigamay, pag 2021 nigamay gyud siya kay gross man niya ang gibasihan,” Baguio said.
Baguio said that there are more than 14,000 business establishments that were registered in the city.
Meanwhile, the city has also extended the deadline of their registration for a business permit from January 20, 2022, to February 28, 2022.
This is to give the public ample time, in consideration of the devastation caused by super typhoon Odette that hit the city in December 2021.
Baguio said that a one-stop-shop was already installed at the Gaisano Mactan Island Mall.
She urged the public to pay their business permit renewal on time to avoid surcharges and interest.
“So kung molapas sila sa deadline nga extended na, February 28, naa nay surcharge ug interest,” she added.
Delay on the processing of business permit renewal would result in payment of 25% surcharge and 2% interest every month. /rcg
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