Tom O seeks approval of dads for ‘08 budget

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is seeking the City Council’s approval of the proposed executive budget for next year, as the city aims to provide an increased level in the delivery of basic services and increase infrastructure and utilities support for the South Road Properties.

From an estimated income of P2.1 billion, minus the P303.4 million as subsidy from the General Fund, the city estimates to spend P613.4 million for personal services and P1.4 billion for maintenance and other operating expenses.

From its estimated total income of P434.5 million from its special accounts, the city estimates to spend P432.2 million, the sum of estimated expenditures of P214.1 million for personal services, P61.5 million for maintenance and other operational expenses, and a capital outlay of P156.9 million.

The special accounts, including utilities and economic enterprises and other special accounts like those of traffic management, Cebu City Resource Management and Development Center, city hospitals and city housing, the city government estimates to earn P131.1 million plus the P303.4 million as subsidy from the general fund.

On a sectoral basis, the city estimates to distribute P846.35 million for general public services; P24.65 million for education, culture and sports; P249.20 million for health, nutrition, and population control; P114.05 million for housing and community development; P44.08 million for social security, social services and welfare; P156 million for economic services; P156.91 for local development fund; P87.27 million for reserve funds for calamity; P504.98 million for debt servicing and P20.63 for aid to city barangays.

In terms of revenue type, the city estimates to earn P784.56 million from its Internal Revenue Allotment; P771.15 million from local taxes; P189.61 million from operating and miscellaneous revenue; and P735 million from capital revenue.

Likewise, from its special accounts, the city also estimates to earn P47.68 million from the City Traffic Operations Management; P3.5 million from the Cebu City Resource Management and Development Center; P34.20 million from the city hospital; P12.12 million from the city housing project; P20.81 million from the market; P12.41 million from the city abattoir and P440,000 from transport.

Another goal of the city for the next year include empowerment of the different stakeholders to cope with varying challenges “while maintaining a commitment to local autonomy and participatory processes by enabling the people closest to the issues and concerns to have a first crack on addressing those.”

The goal to strengthen the SRP is intended to attract economic investments and generate expanding employment opportunities especially to the urban poor residents.

Among its revenue-generating measures include an enhanced tax collection through a vigorous tax information campaign and intensified tax collection effort, an intensified tax-mapping effort that will cover all economic activities occurring within its political jurisdiction and a more aggressive marketing of the SRP to local and foreign investors.  — Joeberth M. Ocao/BRP