CAGAYAN de Oro City’s business community sought last Friday a clarification on City Hall’s tax relief and tax discount program and asked for a possible extension up to Dec. 31, 2023.
During a forum on the city’s tax relief and incentives programs, Oro Chamber President Raymundo Talimio Jr asked City Hall officials for guidelines or implementing rules and regulations on the tax relief ordinance.
“At the moment we’re still (awaiting) the implementation stage,” Talimio said as he asked that more time be taken to disseminate the ordinances on the grassroots level.
Talimio said this is especially important to those with delinquent arrears and asked City Hall officials if it’s possible that the tax ordinances be extended up to December 31, 2023.
In response, City Councilor George Goking and City Administrator Roy Hilario Raagas advised the city’s business groups to file a resolution stating their position on the ordinances.
“(I would urge the business community) to file a resolution (addressed to both Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy and the 20th City Council) for possible amendment (of the tax relief program)…you should outline your position (in the resolution) and we’ll (City Council) take it up (for deliberation and possible amendment),” said Councilor Goking, who chairs the 20th City Council’s committees on ways and means and trade and commerce.
The forum hosted by the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber) sought to address the collective concerns and clarifications on Ordinance No. 14385-2022 or the ‘Tax Relief Ordinance’ of 2022 and City Ordinance No. 14389-2022 that granted a 20 percent tax discount for advanced payments of real property tax ahead of the Jan. 1, 2023 start of payment period.
The tax relief ordinance requires businesses to avail of the program before Jan. 11, 2023, and pay the discounted balances on or before May 21, 2023. Both Talimio and Oro Chamber chairman Efren Dy also proposed that surcharges, penalties, and interest payments on arrears be removed in favor of paying only basic business and real property taxes.
For his part, Oro Trade and Investments Promotions Center chief John Asuncion said they are ready to assist businesses in processing their applications for tax relief.
Aside from the Oro Chamber, other groups who attended the forum include the Cagayan de Oro Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Misamis Oriental Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (Stephen Capillas of City Information Office)
