THE Iloilo City Government has put in place off-site payment centers for business and real property taxes in malls to make transactions more efficient and accessible to the public.
“We are constantly looking for ways to bring our services closer to the people, and ensure they feel and see that the city government is always working for them,” Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said.
Turnover of finished off-site payment centers in Festive Walk and Mary Mart to the City Government will be done within August. The off-site payment center in Atrium mall was completed and turned-over to the local government in July this year.
The city planned for the establishment of off-site payment centers at the height of Covid-19 pandemic two years ago by creating a system that is connected to the database in City Hall.
Executive Assistant to the Mayor Francis Cruz said the centers are targeted to be fully operational in October once the procurement process for needed equipment is done.
By then, the public can already start paying their business and real property taxes at the off-site payment sites.
“That will also be the time when our e-payment system will be fully functional, wherein you can just pay your quarterly tax payments online,” he added.
Cruz said the City Government can also offer other frontline services once the off-site payment centers are established.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) was requested by the local government to be part of an off-site payment center in Festive Walk to cater to concerns of Peza-accredited business process outsourcing companies.
“In this way, they will no longer have to go to Cebu to process their renewal of business permits because Peza is already here,” said Cruz. (PR)