Treasurer opposes payout for newly registered seniors

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Treasurer’s Office described as “far-fetched, unrealistic and not workable” the proposed ordinance seeking to include newly registered senior citizens in Cebu City in the P12,000 annual financial assistance.

Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. has proposed an amendment to Section 5 of City Ordinance 2453, which grants P12,000 annual financial assistance to all qualified senior citizens, to include in the payout the newly registered seniors.

Archival wants those recently reactivated or registered as voters in Cebu City for the years 2014 up to 2022 to already receive the benefit.

City Treasurer Mare Vae Reyes the proposal entails a huge budgetary requirement. She said they could not also ascertain the exact number of “supposed” qualified senior citizens to be incorporated in the payroll for the cash assistance nor the exact amount needed for additional appropriations because they lack the statistical data from the Commission on Elections.

“But certainly it would be humongous, and are on top of the estimated 91,000 existing senior citizens beneficiaries who have been receiving the yearly P12,000 individually or roughly over a billion peso cash assistance annually with the City Government of Cebu,” read a portion of the city treasurer’s position paper submitted before the City Council.

According to them, in recent years the financial assistance to the senior citizens represents around 15% of the city's total annual budgetary allocation.

“Considering this proposed legislative measure would necessarily entail additional appropriations and more expenditure for the city, with all due respect, it is therefore prudent to check and examine its financial viability and sustainability,” the treasurer added.

Given the present state of the city's financial affairs and with no new income or revenue sources available, the treasurer said the proposed ordinance is “unrealistic.”

It is recommended that the City Council must have counterpart or new additional source of revenue and income before introducing such measure. According to the treasurer’s office, ordinances like such would impact or increase the city’s budgetary obligations.

A periodic updating of the city's local revenue code and stable increases in the local business tax rates, fees and charges was likewise recommended. The city treasurer added that such can be done by religiously observing the mandated general revision of real property appraisal and assessment thus consistently guaranteeing an increase in the real property tax (RPT) collections coupled with an effective mechanisms towards auctioning delinquent real properties such as lands, buildings, machineries and other improvements.

Another income-generating measures the treasurer’s office recommended is the  raising of the city's' shares in the joint venture agreements (JVAs) like in the Tokagawa Global Corp., particularly on the on-street 'Pay Parking' sharing scheme.

“And lastly, the OSCA should strictly monitor and outrightly delete those beneficiaries already living outside the city and/or deceased, so that many of the qualified senior citizens who are in the so-called 'waiting list' may be accommodated and benefitted in the granting of financial assistance in due time,” it added. — (FREEMAN)