The Makati City government announced on Wednesday it has collected P15.5 billion in revenues from January to October, attaining 106 percent of its full-year target of P14.5 billion.
The 10-month collection figure is 12 percent more than the city’s take during the same period last year.
Mayor Abigail Binay expressed her gratitude to the city’s taxpayers for their contributions, and vowed to continue pursuing reforms and innovations towards “more efficient, responsive and compassionate public service.”
“We are heartened by the positive outcome of the changes we have introduced into the processes and systems at city hall. We wish to reassure our stakeholders, including the business community, that we are firmly committed to raising Makati’s competitiveness level in all aspects of governance,” she said.
Binay reiterated her goal to eventually implement a ‘no physical contact’ policy in the city government’s transactions with the public through the use of technology, which will also promote transparency in government.
Based on the Treasurer’s report, the bulk of revenues came from business tax with a total of P8.2 billion as of October, which is 97 percent of target and nine per cent higher than last year. Real property tax came in second with P5.4 billion or 129 percent of target, exceeding the previous year’s collection by 17.5 percent.
City Treasurer Jesusa Cuneta pointed out that the 17.5 percent increase in realty tax collections was boosted by the P727.76 million collected from delinquent realty tax payments and penalties as of end-October.
On the orders of Binay, the Realty Tax Division of the city Finance department has been issuing demand letters to real property owners with outstanding obligations, and will be publishing a list of delinquent taxpayers this December, she added.
Cuneta said the satellite realty tax payment system in the barangays was another effective collection measure, generating around P90 million in revenue since January.
Other local revenue sources for the said period included Fees and Charges, P658.5 million (five percent increase), and Economic Enterprises with P186.4 million (12 percent increase). Income from other sources included Interest Income with P194.2 million, Internal Revenue Allotment with P886.8 million, Share from Economic Zone, P226.2 million, and share from Pagcor/PCSO, P6.5 million.
Upon assuming her post, Binay ordered the city’s frontline offices to implement reforms which would promote greater convenience to the transacting public.
For instance, frontline offices involved in processing new applications and renewal of business permits were consolidated at the ground floor of Makati City Hall Building II.
Clients have expressed their satisfaction with the more systematic and faster processing of applications, and have noted the absence of “fixers” who were seen roaming freely inside City Hall and offering their services during the previous administration.
Meanwhile, the Computerized Barangay Realty Tax Payment System was launched in 2005. On scheduled dates every quarter, satellite payment centers electronically linked to the Treasury Department at City Hall are set up in barangay halls to accept realty tax payments. To date, 31 out of the 33 barangays of the city are covered by the program.