Biz community supports Maguindanao's revised revenue code

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Central Mindanao’s business community has endorsed the newly enacted Maguindanao Revised Revenue Code of 2014.

The group even wants the provincial government to venture on other allowable tax collection measures to generate more income needed to sustain livelihood thrusts for poor sectors.

Baisan Sema, president of the Muslim Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kutawato, said they will support the implementation of the newly-revised provincial revenue ordinance, which Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu signed last Monday.

“We ought to congratulate the executive and legislative branches of the Maguindanao provincial government for this very positive feat. But the revenue-generation effort should not end with the signing of that provincial ordinance. It should be implemented fully and we are ready to help towards that goal,” Sema said in an emailed statement.

Sema said good governance cannot be possible unless local government units can have enough revenues to sustain projects and programs needed to address poverty and underdevelopment in far-flung communities.

“We have been seeing how the projects of the Maguindanao local government gain headway in most recent years so we will support the enforcement of that provincial revised revenue code,” Sema said.  

The Maguindanao Revised Revenue Code of 2014 is an improved version of a previous ordinance that has never been updated for 30 years.

Mangudadatu, now in his second term as provincial governor, said he is thankful to the provincial board, chaired by Vice Gov. Lester Sinsuat, for supporting his bid to have the old provincial revenue code upgraded.

“This ordinance will certainly enhance the revenue-generation capability of the provincial government,” Mangudadatu said.

The construction boom in some areas in Maguindanao, which requires the utilization of sand and lime soil aggregates will earn for the province considerable amounts of revenues, he said.

“What is good about this is that only 10 percent of the collections will go to the coffer of the province while the municipalities from where these resources are taken will have much bigger shares of revenues. They will get the biggest slice of the cake, the lion’s share,” Mangudadatu said.

Lawyer Bobby Katambak, chairman of the finance and appropriations committee of the Maguindanao Sangguniang Panlalawigan, said the code will also cover amusement, professional, business and real property taxes.

Sema said they will help disseminate the contents of the ordinance to their counterparts in different towns in the province.