Tuesday, May 06, 2008 2 power coops have over P65M in unpaid taxes
TWO electric cooperatives in Cebu Province have incurred more than P65 million in unpaid real property taxes.
Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre informed the Provincial Board (PB) about the unpaid taxes of Cebu Electric Cooperative (Cebeco) I and II.
Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr., chairman of the committee on cooperative, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that he cannot act on the matter until he examines the communication of Salubre.
In his letter to the PB dated April 28, Salubre said Cebeco I owes P55,331,710 and Cebeco II P10,506,770.
Salubre said the Provincial Government already auctioned off some of Cebeco I and II’s properties to recover their unpaid taxes.
These included machinery transformers, electric distribution poles, conductors and devices, among others.
Recently, the relevance of electric cooperatives was questioned amid complaints that they are asking too much subsidy from local government units (LGUs).
A number of LGUs have complained about subsidy being asked by the Cebeco.
Cebeco II was also accused of extorting P2 million from a Korean group in the northern town of Medellin.
But Cebeco 2 general manager Peter Alan Señeres said the amount was for the electrification of the Korean Retirement Village project.
Meanwhile, the vice governor expressed his concern over Cebeco’s disconnection schedules.
Sanchez said he received reports that the cooperative would cut off the electricity of a consumer after just a few days of non-payment. (GMD)
