Out of the P103 million target for the whole year, the Provincial Treasurer’s Office reported that it has collected a total of P112.338 million from January to October, or a collection efficiency of 124.88 percent.
Dr. Alegria Beltran, PTO chief, said the provincial government had targeted to collect at least P89.956 million for the first 10 months of the year based on its previous collection performance.
For the same period last year, the province reached a collection efficiency of 95.42 percent for the basic tax or a total collection of P37.1 million and 96.52 percent for the special education fund for a total collection of P37.6 million.
“The increased collection was due to the implementation of the general revisions on the assessed value of real properties by the provincial and municipal assessor’s office,” Beltran said.
The municipality of T’boli posted the highest collection efficiency rating at 229.80 percent, followed by Tampakan with 155.49 percent, Polomolok with 130.87 percent, Banga with 118.94 percent, Tantangan with 117.81 percent, Tupi with 111.14 percent, Norala with 93.68 percent, Surallah with 90.72 percent, Sto. Niño with 89.60 percent, and Lake Sebu with 51.17 percent.
To help increase their tax collections, Beltran said their office conducted various activities such as the conduct of trainings for social studies coordinators and supervisors on the integration of local taxations in public secondary schools; seminar for the barangay officials on the tax revenue enhancement program; conduct of auction sale for real properties with tax delinquencies; publication in local newspapers of the notice of delinquencies of delinquent real property owners; conduct of training for treasury personnel province-wide; and, the awarding and recognition of outstanding real property taxpayers.
Beltran added that with their positive accomplishment in this year’s tax collection, the province is hopeful to again receive the highest award in the real property tax collection for 2006 in Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanao.
The region comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato. (Allen V. Estabillo / MindaNews)