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Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Prov’l board dads justify expenses increase
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
MISAMIS Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno's request to hike up the allocation for consultancy expenses by a whooping P3.1 million in the 2006 Annual Budget Ordinance as compared to the 2005 budget is fully justified for revenue generation purposes, the governor's allies defended Tuesday.
They also voiced convictions as to the soundness of Moreno's request to increase the estimates for several items.
These include gasoline, oil, and lubricants from P1 million in 2005 to P4 million in 2006; traveling expenses from P400,000 to P750,000; trainings and seminars expenses from P250,000 to P500,000; office supplies from P250,000 to P350,000; and communication landline from P60,000 to P75,000 and communication mobile from P140,000 to P200,000.
Also, the governor's advertising and publication expenses from P130,000 in 2005 to P500,000 in 2006; office building expenses from P250,000 to P500,000; office equipment from P30,000 to P50,000; furniture and fixture from P30,000 to P50,000; information technology equipment from P40,000 to P50,0000; repair and maintenance of government vehicles from P550,000 to P1million; taxes, duties and fees from P40,000 to P45,000.
Provincial Board pro-administration members Norris Babiera and Pepito Gambe said the governor is proposing that the consultancy fee allocation be increased from P2.4 million in 2005 to P5.5 million because these consultants are hired for the revenue generation of the province.
Both said the Provincial Government is now hiring some five lawyers to file civil suits against delinquent real property taxpayers in the province.
"These consultant lawyers are really undertaking huge tasks for they have already even filed civil suits to attach the properties of those who are doing business here in the province but had never paid any taxes," Babiera said.
"This time we will confiscate their properties should they still fail to pay the proper taxes to the Province and our consultant lawyers are undertaking this tasks," Babiera added.
Babiera said these lawyer consultants including Sabanal, Barba, Pacuribot and Pelaez are also tasked to extend their legal services to the 24 municipalities including Gingoog City in negotiating and collecting real property taxes in their respective areas.
Gambe who is the chairman of the powerful committee on budget and appropriations said these consultants are also currently handling the negotiations with telecommunication carriers to pay their taxes including franchise tax to the Provincial Government.
He said this include Globe Telecommunications Inc., Smart Telecommunications Inc., and Sotelco, among others.
"This is the first time that they would be actually paying the provincial government," he said.
Gambe said these consultants had not spared even electric distribution entities.
"In fact Cepalco (Cagayan de Oro Electric Power and Light Co.) already paid the province," he said.
He added, "We are also asking Moresco (Misamis Oriental Electric Cooperative I and II), through the help of these consultant lawyers, to pay three taxes -- real property taxes, business tax to the municipalities and business tax to the province."
Babiera and Gambe also said the increases of P3 million for Gasoline, Oil, and Lubricants or from P1 million in 2005 to P4 million in 2006 and Traveling Expenses from P400,000 in 2005 to P750,000 in 2006 are "reasonable."
So with the Moreno's request to increase the estimates for Trainings and Seminars Expenses from P250,000 to P500,000; Office Supplies from P250,000 to P350,000; and Communication landline from P60,000 to P75,000 and Communication Mobile from P140,000 to P200,000.
"We just want to be prepared considering the rising cost of prices," Gambe said.
(December 21, 2005 issue)
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