- CHERYL G. CRUZ
Bacolod City Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Finance, said Thursday they will start budget hearings per department next month.
Sayson said the committee officially received the proposed 2023 budget of P3.250 billion from the Office of Mayor Alfredo Benitez during the SP session Oct. 12.
It’s the same budget as in 2021, the number one councilor said.
The Maintenance and Other Operating Expenditures (MOOE) gets the biggest slice of the budget pie at 43.51 percent, or P1.41 billion; personal services, 28.02 percent or P910 million; the special purpose appropriations and 20 percent development fund, each with an 11.01 percent share or more than P357 million; property, plant and equipment at 4.53 percent, or P147 million, and financial expenses at 1.92 percent, or P62.4 million.
“This budget was formulated based on a multipartite system of consultation with the local government collecting inputs from representatives of the private sector and nongovernment organizations,” Benitez said in his budget message to the SP dated Oct. 10. “Thereafter, the budget proposals submitted by our city government departments and offices underwent a series of deliberations and were subjected to serious inspection. Hence, we can say with confidence that this budget is in line with this administration’s platform of governance and shall address the foremost needs of our citizenry.”
Benitez said 57.21 percent, or P1.85 billion, will come from the National Tax Allotment share, while 42.79 percent, or P1.39 billion, from Local Sources.
Sayson said that since there is a P300 million expected reduction in the NTA share, Benitez issued an executive order to strengthen the collection efficiency of concerned city offices, like the treasurer’s, city assessor’s, the land tax division, and the Office of the Building Official.
He said they already pilot tested in two numbered barangays, and found that about P20 million could be generated as additional income from these two areas. And we have 59 more barangays, just imagine the income that the city could generate if we intensify our collection efficiency, Sayson said.
“Despite the decrease in the NTA of the City, we enjoy stability attributing to our Local Sources,” Benitez said. “It is safe to say that the City of Bacolod has bounced back and is well within the path toward recovery, as the collection of Real Property Tax, Other Local Taxes, Regulatory Fees, and Other Non-Tax Revenues have all experienced a significant increase, effected by our innovated tax collection efforts and unrelenting promotion of investment-friendly policies and programs.”/CGC
