General Milling tops list; investment code draft mulled
The Lapu-Lapu city government led by Mayor Paz Radaza recognized the city’s 25 top taxpayers last Friday and called on the private sector to help in drafting an investment code for the city.
Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa was honored as a “Datu Lapu-Lapu Awardee” for topping the list of taxpayers for five straight years in all criteria such as amount of taxes paid and on-time filing of necessary documents for business operations of the fiscal year.
With Shangri-La given the special award, the top taxpayer this year was General Milling Corp.
Radaza said the recognition aims to encourage businesses to be diligent in their tax duties to the local government.
Investment code
Radaza pushed for the drafting of an investment code for Lapu-Lapu, saying this is needed to sustain investor’s confidence in the city.
The code would set down local government rules and ordinances that govern the running of businesses in the city.
Since last year, Lapu-Lapu has spent effort and resources rebranding itself as a Historic Resort City which Radaza said makes it the first local government unit in the country to take this direction.
She said being a fast-growing economy, the city government would want to attract creative minds and talents in Lapu-Lapu.
She cited 61 percent increase in business tax collections from P303 million in 2010 to P488 million in 2014.
At present, Lapu-Lapu City has 12,000 business establishments, up from 7,000 in 2010 or an increase of 66 percent in four years.
She also cited the 144 percent increase in collections of real property tax from P60.7 million in 2010 to P148 million in 2014.
Julie Christie Alegrado Vergara, consul of Austria, was the special guest of the event. Vergara is also president of Alenter Resort Hotel Corp., which owns Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort.
Lapu-Lapu City government employees and city officials led by Vice Mayor Marcial Ycong were present at the event.
The mayor’s daughter Rep. Aileen Radaza of the lone district of Lapu-Lapu City and the mayor’s husband, former Rep. Arturo Radaza were also at the event.