BAGUIO CITY – Except for the first three days when long queues were noted even at the supposed express lane for senior citizens, tax payment processing at City Hall went on smoothly during the first week of the year.
Acting city treasurer Alex Cabarrubias said no major problems were encountered as city treasury employees rushed to accommodate the first batch of early taxpayers who as expected came in droves.
“The clogging during the first few days cannot be helped because the clients came at the same time in their desire to get the payment done,” Cabarrubias said.
Last Thursday, the queues evidently shrunk as the number of taxpayers coming to pay either their business or real property taxes began to trim down.
Cabarrubias said this is due to the fact that many taxpayers have already settled their accounts from November last year.
In fact last December, there was already a throng of clients who paid their real property dues, he added.
The office however expects clients to continue flocking to the city until the deadline for tax payment set in March.
The permits and licensing division of the city mayor’s office has received a total of 946 applications for regular business permit as of Friday.
The office expects close to 19,000 regular business permits to be processed this year. Last year, a total of 18,361 permits were issued.
As in the past years, early taxpayers who settled their revenue obligations early received incentives like discounts and “roleta” and raffle prizes.
The city also relaxed its parking rules by depositing service vehicles at the motorpool to give parking room to taxpayers at City Hall.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan said they may soon make this a permanent policy./A Refuerzo
