VM asks taxmen to be “more reasonable”
DAGUPAN Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez has cautioned personnel of the city treasurer’s office to be “more reasonable” in the collection of taxes so as not to discourage entrepreneurs in the city.
Fernandez pointed out that with the current rainy season causing incessant flooding which contributes to sluggish business in Dagupan, “it is not good to put pressure on traders during hard times”.
Fernandez, herself a businesswoman and head of the family-owned CSI Group of Companies which operates malls and supermarkets in Pangasinan and neighboring provinces, expressed apprehension that city taxmen could be using harassment and other similar tactics to make sure that they meet collection targets.
The vice mayor went around the Malimgas Public Market last week where vendors and stallholders reported to her that city government representatives collecting taxes from them were virtually harassing them.
“Although, there is a need to meet the target collection,” Fernandez said, “it should not result to a point where businessmen would be forced to close shop because of their current poor sales/”
Fernandez noted that some stalls at the second floor of the Malimgas Market have already been closed by the city government for failure of owners to settle unpaid rentals.
Some sari-sari stores have also been padlocked for failure to pay the corresponding taxes.
“I hope, no more businesses will close simply because they can no longer pay the tax otherwise the city will face a bigger economic problem,” she added.
City hall observers suspect that tax collectors are being pressured to meet their quota because the city budget has already ballooned to P578 million, P10 million more than the budget approved budget after Sangguniang Panlungsod agreed to support Mayor Benjamin Lim’s series of supplemental budgets.
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