DAGUPAN’S Sangguniang Panlungsod has began conducting public hearings on two draft fiscal ordinances: Nos. 0-593 (Amending the Schedule of Fair Market Value of real properties in the city of Dagupan for the year 2004 and thereafter), and 0-594 (Proposed Revenue Code of the City of Dagupan).

However, in both public hearings, only members of the city’s finance committee composed of the City Administrator, City Treasurer, City Budget Officer and City Accountant, were present.

Both draft ordinances were filed by Councilors Jeslito Seen and Jose Netu Tamayo.

Mayor Belen Fernandez endorsed the passage of the two ordinances late last year, since Dagupan has not updated its fair market value of real properties as well as its revenue code.

SP Secretary Ryan Ravanzo said the committee on finance as well as laws, ordinances and judiciary, said another public hearing on March 22 and March 23 for Draft Ordinance No. 0594 has been scheduled.

City Treasurer Romelita Alcantara said the Fair Market Value of real property of Dagupan City was last updated in 2004 although Local Government Units are mandated by law to update it every five years.

The city was already cited by the Department of Finance as among the non-compliant LGUs.

No updating was attempted during the terms of then Mayors Benjamin Lim and Alipio Fernandez Jr.

Alcantara said the passage of the ordinance is imperative because there already exist big discrepancies between the existing fair market value of properties in Dagupan than the assessed value of the same by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

She assured taxpayers that the adjustment of fair market value of real properties will still be the lowest among existing cities in the country.

Ravanzo called on landowners and businessmen to attend the two important public hearings so they can react and give their inputs. (Leonardo Micua)

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