Mahinog holds public hearing on proposed new revenue code

THE Sangguniang Bayan (SB) Committee on Ways and Means is fast tracking the passage of the proposed Municipal Revenue Code of Mahinog in a bid to update the existing tax code which was last passed in 1992.

Yesterday, a public hearing attended by more than 200 participants representing various sectors was conducted at the municipal gymnasium to gather public input on the proposed revenue measures which are needed to spur local growth.

Councilor Jonard B. Labadan (above photo), SB Ways and Means Committee Chairman, stressed the need to pass a new revenue measures because it has already been almost twenty years already that the municipality is operating with the old one.

“In 1992, we are the first municipality in Camiguin that was able to come up with a model revenue code, and now we are left behind because we are the only municipality in the province to have been unable to update it,” Labadan told participants at the hearing.

He added Mahinognons are still fortunate because for almost 20 years fees and charges in Mahinog have remained unchanged and are even considered minimal compared to other local government units in Camiguin.

At the public hearing, municipal treasurer Judith P. Baita (above photo) presented the salient provisions of the proposed Revenue Code of the Municipality of Mahinog.

Baita said the proposed revision includes ten percent (10%) increases of the rates in the existing 1992 revenue code as allowed by Republic Act 7160 otherwise known as The Local Government Code of 1991.

Under the code, local government units are authorized to adjust their tax rates once every five (5) years but such adjustment should not exceed ten percent (10%) of the rates fixed under the code.

Baita stressed it has been 3 times, or more than 15 years, that LGU chose not to take the opportunity to adjust its tax rates, then it is high time now “to awake from long sleep” and pass a new revenue code in order to keep pace with the changing times.

Dr. Perla J. Garot, a participant from the business sector, said tax amendments are appropriate as long as the money is spent properly and it is also important that during the public hearings taxpayers should be made to understand how tax money is used.

Mayor Alex R. Jajalla, in a statement, said the new revenue measures is needed to finance more developmental projects as he assured that every centavo of money collected form local taxes will be judiciously used for the purpose it was collected.