Cebu City honored as best LGU in CV

Cebu City was yesterday honored as the best local government in terms of financial and fiscal management.

It is the only LGU to receive such recognition during the general assembly of the treasurers and assessors in Bohol yesterday.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña was so pleased with the award that he cancelled his trip to Taiwan to be able to attend the awarding ceremony.

 In his speech, the mayor said Cebu City has been very strict in implementing tax collection and managing its financial resources.

But he explained that one big problem in tax collection is the word business permit, which is more of regulatory. “So there should be a major change. The main function of the treasurer is to generate and not regulate.”

Osmeña said one major reform that the city had adopted is that anyone who do business and make money should pay taxes.

“In Cebu City, if you do business, you pay taxes. I don’t care if your business is legal or illegal, moral or immoral. If you’re doing business in the city, you pay or we’ll find a way to kill you,” he said, drawing applause from the nearly 400 local government assessors and treasurers from across the region.

He also gave a technique to tax collectors to put more tax burden on the structure than the land because those who put up big buildings are actually those who can pay more.

During interview with reporters, Osmeña said the award will prove that despite the allegations that the city is already bankrupt, it can still manage its financial resources well. 

The Bureau of Local Government Finance announced earlier that Cebu City has been chosen as the sole recipient of the award as the Best Performing LGU among the 136 local government units in Central Visayas because of its remarkable performance in the local fiscal and financial management.  —Wenna A. Berondo/LPM