Sanggunian fears deficit in 2012
THE Dagupan City government collected only P251 million in revenues last year, or 11.6% short of the target of P284 million.
As a result, Dagupan would have suffered a deficit last year were it not for the increase in the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share of the city from P283 to P307.
The IRA allowed Dagupan to post an eight percent increase in income.
After City Treasurer Romelita Alcantara reported the figures, Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, SP chair, said the Sangguniang Panlungsod would be more circumspect in approving the 2012 budget to avoid an impending deficit by the end of the year should the city again fail to meet its target revenue collection.
The members of the majority in the city council were unanimous in their concern because of the expected P37 million reduction in the city’s IRA nest year.
Fernandez also expressed concern over the continued operating losses of the city’s markets, which stand at P30 million a year, mainly due to the city government’s continued failure to increase the occupancy rate at Malimgas Market which remains at 60 percent.
EMERGENCY WORKERS
At the same time, Fernandez debunked rumors that the reason why the mayor’s office did not renew the appointment of 100 emergency workers (EWs) at the beginning of the year was due to the delayed approval of the 2012budget.
The vice mayor pointed out that Mayor Benjamin Lim himself already clarified in a television interview that the non-renewal of some of the EWs is due to the reduction of the city’s IRA.
Fernandez also noted that there are now more than 500 EWs in the payroll of the city government, more than the 400-plus regular employees, including 54 consultants.
She said it was odd that the proposed budget for EWs in 2012 has an allocation for only six months.
City Administrator Mata said the wages of the EWs for the remaining six months will be drawn from savings on personal services.
Fernandez expressed fears that city hall’s plans could affect the distribution of P10,000 additional incentive reserved for regular workers.
Meanwhile, Fernandez said on Friday that the scheduled budget hearing of the city council has been suspended the to give the Local Finance Committee (LFC) headed by Mata, enough time to submit the annual expenditures and annual revenues collected by the city which Mata failed to present.
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