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COUNCILORS are investigating why city hall’s revenue collections from quarry operations have decreased in the past months.

In a meeting of the committee on ways and means late last week, Councilor George Goking cited a report of the City Treasurer’s Office that city hall’s collection as of October was only P9.7 million.

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“This is much less than what is being collected in other cities and provinces,” he said.

Goling asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau to provide the committee with a comparative chart and data on the volume of quarry materials extracted from different areas of the city.

Goking scheduled the meeting following the special report of Councilor Enrico Salcedo who complained about alleged delays in the processing of quarry permits.

According to Engr. Daniel Belderol, chief of DENR’s Mines Management Division, the applications of quarry concessionaires have always been immediately acted upon.

Belderol said delays only happen when there are violations and when permittees do not comply and submit needed documents.

He said concessionaires should renew their permits 60 days before expiration. If they apply after the expiration, their applications would be considered new, and it would take longer to process such.

“This is the new policy,” he said.

Goking said the committee would schedule another meeting with representatives of concerned departments and quarry operators to find solutions. (clo)

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