IN ITS efforts to provide better services to the people of Cagayan de Oro, the City Treasurer's Office (CTO) will be launching an online, hassle-free form of tax payment in next year.
Engineer Leonil Mistula, chief of the CTO's Computer Division, said by January 2017, the electronic payment will go full-blast.
Mistula said taxpayers will be able to log on to cagayandeoro.gov.ph and pay business permits and real property taxes, traffic citations, market stall rentals, sales taxes, transfer taxes, business permit orders of payment, and even city building fees.
Aside from paying taxes online, residents can also register or renew business permits online.
"Convenience man gyud sa bahin sa katawhan ang atong target, with our new system, mas easier nga pwede ra sila magbayad sa ilahang mga balay (Our target is convenience for the people. It's easier to pay from their homes)," Mistula said.
"Advantage pud sa atong part kay para ma-decongest na atong office ug cashless transaction nata nga instead magdala-dala paka ug kwarta padulong diri sa office, asa pa unya mapadulong ang kwarta, so kung cashless, diritso gayud siya mapadulong sa tax payment (It's an advantage on our part so we can decongest our office and we are now doing cashless transactions instead of bringing money. It (money) might go somewhere so if it's cashless, it goes directly to tax payment)," Mistula added.
The online tax payments can be made through VISA or Bancnet credit cards.
"We wish to add more banks sa scope sa online payment system, nga dili lang unta sa duha lang ka banko but more sunod tuig (That we can pay on more banks next year, not just two)," he said.
"Actually, dugay naman ni nga plano pero karon lang ma-implement kay ang bangko nato karon raman pud nato naobserbahan na paspas na gyud ang online banking system (This plan has been long overdue but we implemented it now because our banks observed that online banking system is faster)," he added.
The City Government is expected to ink a contract with the Development Bank of the Philippines next week to make the project official.
City Councilor George Goking, chair of trade and commerce, said the Council is in full-support with the easier way of paying.
"We support this project because it would be more convenient for taxpayers by going online kay halos kita naman tanan ga-online, dili na mahasol nga muadto sa City Hall unya walay parking space (Because almost all of us are online, it won't be inconvenient to go to City Hall without a parking space)," Goking said.
"And also, we are hopeful that after that, daghan pa gyud bangko ang mo-offer ana nga system nga online na (Many banks offer online services)," he added.