DUMAGUETE CITY , Philippines — Local government units (LGUs) in Negros Oriental expressed opposition against the proposal of Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares to scrap the cedula or the issuance of community tax.
Valencia town Mayor Enrique Gonzales said it is not fair to the LGUs because, for one, it is provided for under the Local Government Code.
Gonzales also said that removing the cedula, which was introduced first during the Spanish era as a form of an identification card, would affect the yearly revenues of his municipality.
On the other hand, Dumaguete City stands to lose about P7 million when the issuance of cedula is removed. This was confirmed by OIC city treasurer Cristina Merced who, for her part, wished that Congress should study first the matter carefully, especially on its implications and impact on LGUs.
Merced refused to believe BIR did not earn a single centavo in the collection of community taxes while spending millions of pesos in the printing of forms. She added that Dumaguete City treasurer’s office is buying the community tax form at P57.50 per stub from the Revenue Dist. 79 in the city.
In this city, a minimum of P50 is collected for the issuance of a cedula, P5 for the senior citizens, while businesses’ rates are based on the evaluation and assessment. (FREEMAN)