THE Mandaue City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) has tapped the barangays in the city to intensify its tax mapping initiative and operation against businesses without permits.

City Treasurer Regal Oliva said their tax mapping activities revealed that several businesses in the barangays have been operating without getting permits.

These business operators, specifically lessors of houses and other properties, have not paid for their tax dues as well.

“Of course, first and foremost these are invisible businesses since they don’t really have offices,” Oliva said.

This prompted the CTO to tap the barangay captains in the city, who will serve as their guide during tax mapping operations.

CTO has covered Barangays Tipolo, Subangdaku and Centro as of 2019.

“Why only three barangays? Tax mapping is difficult, it takes a lot of manpower and it takes a very good system,” Oliva said.

Oliva believes they can increase the number of villages this year since they have established their tax mapping operations.

For 2020, Oliva aims to finish their tax mapping activities in at least half of the 27 barangays in the city.

Among the concerns the CTO will look into during its tax mapping operations is the measurement of the establishment’s area vis-a-vis to the business area indicated in the permits.

“We need to check their book of sales, sales records and receipts if these will all coincide,” Oliva added.

The city treasurer defined their operation as a game of cat-and-mouse, with violators resuming business after the CTO finishes its operations in a certain barangay.

Because of this, Oliva said they have to conduct a follow-up inspection to ensure that barangays are free of erring business operators. (KFD)