THE Provincial Government of Negros Occidental will review its tax ordinance amid clamor from local crusher and quarry operators on the alleged exorbitant transport permit fee imposed by the province, an official said.
Second District Board Member Salvador Escalante Jr., chairman committee on appropriations, budget and finance of the Provincial Council, pushed for the review of the Provincial Tax Ordinance during their regular session Wednesday, October 17.
Escalante said crusher and quarry operators have been expressing concerns on “prohibitive” transport permit fee worth P1,000 per cubic meter of ore including crackstone, mixing sand, boulder, and armor rock, among other quarry products.
“For local quarry and crusher operators, such transport permit fee prohibits them to generate revenues,” he said, adding that he recognizes the need to revisit the tax ordinance as it might really be hurting these businesses.
The existing Provincial Tax Ordinance was approved two years ago, but the higher transport permit fee among quarry products took effect starting last January.
From P100 per cubic meter, the transport permit fee for all kinds of quarry materials increased to
P1, 000 per cubic meter.
The transport permit fee is the payment set by the Provincial Government for quarry materials being shipped outside Negros Occidental. The collection goes to the province’s General Fund.
Escalante said the review will specifically look into the types of quarry products that can be subjected to lower transport permit fee instead of implementing a “sweeping” rate for all items.
Aside from revisions on transport permit fee, Escalante said his committee will also study the possibility of regulating the kind of materials for sale.
“We will determine the reasons why it was increased to P1, 000 per cubic meter. Personally, it should not be for all quarry products,” he said, stressing that “the province lacks mixing sand so we can possibly limit the selling of this material unlike of abundant crackstone and armor rocks.”
The review of the Provincial Tax Ordinance is set on October 22 simultaneous with the hearing of the proposed 2019 Annual Budget.
The Council will invite Provincial Environment Management Officer Wilfred Ramon Peñalosa to attend the review. It is also meeting crusher and quarry operators in a separate public hearing.
After the review, there might be amendments on our tax ordinance, Escalante said.
"Quarry and crusher operators are the people who pay their taxes and create employment in the province thus, we have to also attend to their concerns accordingly,” the official said.