Balanga tops tax collection in Central Luzon

BALANGA CITY, Bataan, Philippines  – The efficient implementation of the government’s public-private partnership program has exceptionally motivated Balanga city’s economic growth producing a host of other benefits including revenue collections target performance.

An excellent collections performance of the Treasury Office has elevated its outstanding status as best achiever on real property tax in Central Luzon, from P17.727 million in 2009 to P27.371 million in 2010 or 154 percent higher than that of the previous year which now ranks Bataan’s commercial and educational center as the topnotcher in the component city’s category in this aspect.

Records showed that the revenues from the public market, slaughterhouse and arcade commercial of about P22 million in 2009 swelled to P41 million or 185 percent in 2010. The significant progress is reportedly due to the local government officials managerial competency and the continuous improvement of services being initiated by the administration of Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III.

Joselito Evangelista, City treasurer, told The STAR in the business tax registry from P33.6 million in 2009 to P38.03 million in 20l0 or 113 percent increase which simply explained the continued business community confidence to the fast growing component city in Central Luzon. The remarkable total collections performance index showed 118 percent improvement with P440.749 million in 2010 against P373.828 in 2009.

Evangelista said that businessmen and investors have positive outlook of the mayor and his administration initiatives of creating a business-friendly atmosphere with a solid commitment of providing infrastructure and communication facilities, highly-skilled manpower and other world-class services.

According to Evangelista, the city government chose to demonstrate good governance with a responsibility to spearhead campaign on environmental clean-up and declaring Balanga City as a smoke free community, promoting quality education, creating employment opportunities and other laudable efforts of achieving a university town status by year 2020.

The City Planning Office has listed total investments of P4.8 billion in 2009 composed of business, locational clearances/building permits, development permits and infrastructure projects both locally and nationally funded and other non-governmental agencies.

Business leaders in Bataan have noted the achievements of the Barangay Week, one of frontline programs of Garcia and the Sangguniang Panglunsod now on its fourth year have greatly contributed to worthy performance in the collection and investment force.