“We did not collect from the squatters before – those
operating in lots that are not theirs. This year, we said, we will give you
your business permits, but if there are complaints, say, from the lot owner, we
will immediately revoke the permit,” Faustino said.
The waiver was part of the procedural reforms introduced by
the city under the Transparent Accountable Governance (TAG) project.
In Malaybalay City, where reforms in business permits and
licensing system under the TAG are being implemented, revenue from business
permits more than doubled, from
P3.2 million last year to P7.1 million this year, a report presented at the 2nd
Mindanao Mayors’ Conference here showed.
The permits issued also rose form 1,031 last year to 1,905
this year. But processing time for issuance decreased from two hours and 10
minutes last year to one hour and six minutes this year.
In Tacurong City, collection from business permits rose to P5.4 million for the
period January 2 to 20 this year, from P3.3 million last year.
The number of business permits issued also rose from 311
last year to 565 this year. Processing time for the issuance of a permit was
reduced from 2.58 days to “about two hours.”
In Koronadal, processing time was reduced to one day from
the usual seven days and the number of business permits issued rose from 954 to
1,505.
This year, the applicant needs to fill out only two forms
instead of the usual four.
The city’s business tax collection in January 2006 was P7.5
million, up from P5.2 million during the same month last year. Gross sales/receipts
assessed rose form P2.8 million to P4.5 million.
In Oroquieta City, processing time for the issuance of
business permits was reduced from 1.6 days in 2005 to two hours, 1 minute and
40 seconds this year.
In the other cities where reforms in real property tax
administration were being implemented, significant improvements have also been
noted.
Dipolog’s collection efficiency rose from 38% in 2002 to 49%
in 2003, 58% in 2004 and 65% in 2005.
Panabo’s rose from 71% in 2004 to 80% in 2005.
Surigao’s was 44% in 2002, 45% in 2003 and 2004 and 47% in
2005.
Marawi City had 1.2% collection efficiency in 2003. This
increased to 2% in 204 and 2.6% in 2005.
The cost-collection decreased in Dipolog City from 80 cents
in 2002 to 44 cents in 2005; in Panabo from 36 cents in 2004 to 22 cents in
2005; in Surigao, from P1.81 in 2002 to P1.04 in 2005. There were no figures
available for Marawi.
TAG is a project of the League of Cities of the Philippines,
The Asia Foundation and the US Agency for International Development. (Carolyn
O. Arguillas/MindaNews)