Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Capitol rakes in P137M in quarry taxes By Raymond C. Garcia
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Pampanga Provincial Government has collected a total of P136.488 million from June 29, 2007 up to January 27, 2008 in quarry fees, giving the Capitol, seven sand-rich towns and 20 villages additional funds for social services to the people.
The revenues generated in the almost seven-month period is certain to surpass the P137.577 million that the Natural Resources Development Corp., the corporate arm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), had collected for the Provincial Government in the whole of 2000.
The Provincial Government also collected P 295,200.00 in fines and penalties from 11 violators.
"The revenues we have generated in almost seven months indicate the vigilant efforts of the special committee Balas to stamp out irregularities in the field and remove any room for graft. It is also a strong sign that the holders of quarry permits have been really abiding with the law and are helping the government put in more income into the public coffers," said Governor Eddie Panlilio.
Balas stands for Biyaya a Luluguran at Sisikapan, which Panlilio created through Executive Order (EO) 1, the first he signed upon assumption to office, for the strict implementation of Tax Ordinance No. 1-93.
It is staffed with 187 casuals who are assigned in not less than 30 checkpoints to check the validity of Provincial Government-issued receipts, ensure that those are not recycled or faked and that every truckload of sand that is hauled is properly paid with tax and administrative fee.
EO 1 required permit holders to pay the receipts at the Provincial Treasurer's Office and not in checkpoints, which was the practice during the Lapid administrations.
Pending the implementation of the new quarry law, Ordinance No. 176, the receipts presently cover payments for the P150 sand tax and P150 administrative fee.
The tax is shared on a 30-30-40 percent basis among the province, towns and barangays. The fee is used to fund operations, the repair of government roads used by trucks and rehabilitation of old abandoned quarry sites instead of dipping into the general fund that is meant for social services like health and education for the whole province, among others.
Panlilio also thanked Vice Governor Joseller Guiao and the Provincial Board (PB) members for approving the P3 million in night differentials and overtime for Balas personnel for July to December 2007 during the public dialogue last January 25.
The governor will ask Guiao and the PB to also approve the P40-million budget for the operations of the special committee Balas and P22.3 million for the wages of the 187 casuals.
The P22.3 million for the wages of the casual employees was removed from the 2008 budget of the province. It was placed in the un-appropriated balance of the budget.
"I thanked the vice governor, especially, for keeping a close watch on the sand industry and on Balas operations. His vigilance contributes to a whole wide range of efforts to protect our sand resource," Panlilio said.
As the total revenues reflect an efficient anti-graft system, the month-to-month turn-in give signs of supply and demand trends, the governor emphasized.
Collections were P45,000 on June 29, 2007, the last day of former governor Mark Lapid's term; P24.405 million in July; P20.910 million in August; P21.180 million in September; P19.095 million in October; P17.748 million in November; P16.110 million in December; and P16.830 million up to January 25.
"The reasons for the decline are the completion of Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and the off-season construction activities," Panlilio explained.
Sand buying is expected to start peaking in February or March, as trends by the National Statistical and Coordination Board (NSCB) indicate.
At least 18 companies or individuals quarry sand on the strength of permits issued by the DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Provincial Government. Some local government units and private individuals have been issued gratuitous permits. The desilting of rivers during the summer months is also expected to bring up the rate of collection.
"I assure you that your Provincial Government is exerting all efforts to make sure that the benefits from the sand of Mt. Pinatubo -- whose eruptions in 1991 up to 1992 caused us tragedies -- are used to improve the lives of our poor constituents," Panlilio added.
