Hike in quarry fees noted
A total of P1.1 million has been realized by the provincial government from quarry fees during the month of July, or 64% higher than the P670,000 collection of the previous provincial administration during the same period last year.
The increase is a result of the set of reforms introduced during the first month in office of Governor Amado Espino Jr., among them the transfer of the supervision of quarry operations under a new body called the Natural Resources Regulatory Group (NRRG).
The NRRG is under the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) and is led by Nestor Batalla as officer-in-charge.
Quarrying operations used to be supervised by the Inter-Agency Mineral products and Aggregates Conservation Team (IMPACT).
Batalla said Espino has directed the eradication of illegal quarrying and illegal mining operations in Pangasinan to improve revenue collections and attain environmental stability.
The NRRG includes municipal mayors and barangay chairmen as members of the quarry task force.
Aside from its anti-illegal quarrying and mining function, the NRRG is also tasked to cooperate with the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the enforcement of provincial mining and tax laws.
The provincial government is also proposing certain revisions in the 1998 Revenue Tax Code (RTC) to further add teeth to the reform measures adopted by the provincial government. #
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