Tabuk City tax collection increases amid pandemic

By Larry Lopez

TABUK CITY MAYOR DARWIN C. ESTRANERO

CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga (PIA)–The city government’s tax collection stayed positive amid the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to business.

Mayor Darwin C. Estranero, in his year-end State of the City Address (SOCA), reported the city-LGU had collected P27,891,891 in taxes last 2020 compared to  P25,975,568  in 2019 or an increase of  7%.

In the first quarter of 2021, the city has an initial tax collection of P21, 857,347 indicating a higher collection rate for the year.   

For the same period, initial Real Property Tax amounted to P13, 409,806 compared to P13, 333,320 in the previous year.

Estranero attributed the tax collection performance to improved innovations that strengthened the city’s fiscal administration. He cited the city’s Electronic Business Permit and Licensing System (eBPLS) through the help of the Department of Information and Communication Technology local office.

 With the lockdowns brought by quarantine restriction, the city government granted tax breaks, tax discounts and considered certain delays in payments of other fees and penalties for business and real estate taxes.

Estranero is optimistic about the city’s economic rebound with the new normal situation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. (JDP/LL-PIA CAR, Kalinga)