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Monday, March 06, 2006
La Trinidad trade post fees collection hit
TRADING post businessmen in La Trinidad are questioning the legality of the collection of fees by the Municipal Government, saying there is no existing code to cover the imposition of fees.
Guerrero Felipe, lawyer for the traders, said the collection is illegal because the Municipal Council never enacted an ordinance imposing rates on individuals doing business within the trading area.
"The collection of fees from the traders there has no basis because the municipality never passed an ordinance to replace the Trading Post Code that was junked by the Provincial Board (PB) in 1995," Felipe said.
The 1995 Code that established the rules and regulations in the operation of the facility, including the imposition of taxes on the use of the booths and stalls, reportedly was not sanctioned by the PB because the rates were exorbitant.
The town has been collecting P52 per month from each booth holder. This was increased to P130 monthly after the passage of the town's 2005 Revised Revenue Code, which took effect this year.
The businessmen who are questioning the legality of the collection are the same individuals who opposed the implementation of the tax ordinance, saying the rates the LGU imposes are exorbitant. They filed an injunction suit against the revenue code but the court denied it.
Felipe said they are foregoing legal remedies they could avail of to stop the implementation of the new tax ordinance. "We will no longer ask for reconsideration from the court but we will exercise our other options," he said.
He said they lobbied before the PB not to approve La Trinidad's revised revenue code, which they claimed is "oppressive," "confiscatory" and "excessive."
The legislative body scheduled a public hearing on March 9 for all concerned to air their respective comments. (JC)
(March 6, 2006 issue)
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