A MEMBER of the Davao City Council has required the City Treasurer's Office (CTO) to publish a notice of delinquency of payment of the real property tax in newspapers.
Committee on finance, ways and means and appropriations chair councilor Danilo Dayanghirang said he would like the treasurer's office to do such move as the City Council and the City Government revisit the taxes.
"The publication of the tax delinquent can be published in newspapers for public information about the real property tax. I want the treasurer to publish it in newspapers," Dayanghirang said during the Pulong-Pulong ni Pulong.
City Council majority floor leader Councilor Bernard Al-ag said they are mandated by law to review the taxes here. He added the last time the city increased taxes was in 2005, which is already 11 years ago.
"Medyo gibadlong na ta sa Commission on Audit (COA) nganong wala pa ta nag-review and increase sa atong taxes (COA called our attention as we have not reviewed and increased our taxes yet). In fact, we discussed this in the Executive Legislative Agenda (ELA) after we received the report," Al-ag said.
Dayanghirang identified three major sources of funds: the business tax, the real property tax, and the internal revenue allotment. He said that the city needs to revisit the real property tax.
The real property tax will only be computed every year. All buildings attached on the land, old and new including the idle land, must be assessed by the City Assessor's Office (CAO) before it will issue a form to CTO to collect.
In a comparative study that the council conducted, Dayanghirang said the internal revenue allotment has noted 15 percent increase in its collection which is higher as compared to the real property tax's collection with 3.7 percent only.
"Now, the treasurer's office has nothing to collect kung wala pud nag-assess ang assessors (if the assessors have not assessed yet). One of the solutions is we have to come up with new schedule of assessment value of the real property tax," Dayanghirang said.
He said the City Council has already requested CAO to look into their records and submit it to the City Council.
Dayanghirang underscored that the budget for the city would be affected if there is a problem with the source of funds. He said among the solutions they have is to boost the real property tax which they are now reviewing.