Fernandez tells applicants to file documents ASAP

CEBU, Philippines - Considering that the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office urgently needs more personnel, City Administrator Francisco Fernandez yesterday said interested applicants should apply as soon as possible while Mayor Tomas Osmeña is still here, otherwise hiring might be delayed once he returns to the United States.

This is because it would need 30 days for Vice Mayor Michael Rama, the one to assume Osmeña’s responsibilities, to make appointments.

“We still have to wait for another 30 days before the Acting Mayor can have the authority to appoint personnel,” Fernandez said.

Osmeña is slated to fly back to the US on March 26 to continue treatment of his cancer of the urinary bladder.

The City Treasurer’s Office needs 30 personnel to augment its manpower and to strengthen tax collection.

Osmeña himself said the additional personnel are needed owing to the presence of companies that need to be investigated and looked into for non-payment or unfair payment of taxes.

Fernandez said there are around 22,000 business establishments who are registered and 6,000 that not registered.

CTO already publicized the hiring of seven local treasury operations officers, seven revenue collections officers, nine local treasurer operations assistants, and seven cashiers.

In the past years, the city has been recognized for aggressive collection of taxes, topping other cities in the region.

In January 2009 alone, the city collected P365 million in real estate taxes and business permit fees, which is an increase of around 9.5 percent in revenue compared to the same period last year. — Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO   (THE FREEMAN)