LEGAZPI CITY—While the provincial government of Albay is extending amnesty on tax payments as a result of the series of calamities that besieged the region, this city is pushing hard for the real-property tax to go up by a whopping 120 percent.
A proposed ordinance for a 120-percent tax hike for commercial and residential land is being deliberated by the city council, contending that it is necessary to fund city projects. The council said the city government has not imposed any real-property tax hike during the past 10 years.
But the business community and civic organizations, in joint resolution 02-2014 dated November 14, 2014, led by the Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Legazpi-Albay Chinese-Filipino Chamber of Commerce, JCI Legazpi and Rotary Club of Legazpi Central strongly opposed the proposed ordinance, calling it “untimely and painful,” and asked to at least cushion the impact through staggered imposition.
Rep. Al Francis Bichara (Second District, Albay) said the proposed tax hike would be an added burden to the calamity-stricken province, saying business has never been good.
This was corroborated by city councilor Fernand Imperial, who said he has adopted the stand of the business community and civic organizations that the proposed tax hike should be disabled at this time.
Gil Goyena, former provincial board member, said the proposed tax hike for land is ridiculous. He said that, if granted, it would be tantamount to paralyzing a big portion of the city’s human-earning capacity.
The joint business and civic organizations’ resolution recommended that a gradual implementation of the proposed real-property tax hike for commercial and residential land be adopted, such as a 33-percent increase during the first two years, 33 percent during the succeeding three and four years, and 34 percent during the next five and six years.
Civic leader Marcial Tuanqui said Mayor Noel Rosal has asked for a committee action review on the impact of the proposed real-property tax following the resistance from the business community.
But during the committee action review hearing on Monday, it was only attended by the pros identified as friendly to city hall.
Several businessmen claimed they did not receive invitations from city hall for the said hearing.
Tuanqui was the same civic leader who questioned the city-proposed ordinance renaming a barangay street to Jose Oro Lee Avenue. A former barangay chairman of Barangay Oro site, Jose Oro Lee was a close ally of the city leader who died 10 years ago.
1 comment
Why don’t they just levy special assessment taxes?