Treasurer's office open today for tax payments

CEBU, Philippines - Even if there is no work today for government workers, some personnel of the Cebu City Treasurer’s Office have been ordered to report to City Hall to accept payments from taxpayers who do not want to be caught by the crush during the deadline of the quarterly tax payments on Monday.

Acting Cebu City treasurer Ofelia Oliva believes that taxpayers will troop to her office on Monday to pay their taxes during the deadline for those who chose to pay on a quarterly basis, which is why she decided to assign a skeleton force today.

Taxpayers who fail to pay their obligation after Monday can still pay them, but it with the corresponding surcharges.

“Kadtong mga taxpayers nga dili gusto nga maabtan sa deadline, mahimo sila nga mobayad ugma kay abli ang city treasurer’s office,” Oliva said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Oliva also proposed the creation of a multi-sectoral tax administration to be composed of representatives from the different sectors of the community to improve the revenue collection and ensure that there will be discussion before the implementation of new tax measures

Oliva, who only assumed her post last Thursday, said it will be headed by the city treasurer and shall be composed of representatives from the businessmen, academe, clergy, city planning and development office, assessor’s office, school officials, labor groups and public accountants and others.

Other members are from the lawyers group, administrators of private schools and from the media.

“I will make my formal recommendation about it to Mayor (Tomas) Osmeña and I hope that he will support on it. Nindot g’yod nga daghan ang mohatag sa ilang huna-huna kon unsaon nga molambo ang atong tax collection,” Oliva said. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)