BLGF names Legazpi City No. 1 in 2020 tax collection

By Cet Dematera

The Legazpi City government was named anew by the Bureau Local Government Finance (BLGF) as the 2020 top performing city in the country in terms of local revenue collection.

City Treasurer Carlita de Guzman, said the BLGF under Department of Finance (DOF) pegged a tax collection target of P492.32 million for 2020, but Legazpi actually collected P710.10 million or 144.2 percent over its target.

San Pedro City in Laguna on second place exceeded by 139.1 percent its target collection followed by San Juan City 137.1 percent; Cabuyao City, Laguna 133.6 percent; Tagbiliran City, Bohol 132.8 percent; Angeles City, Pampanga 130.9 percent; Toledo City, Cebu 128.8 percent; Dagupan City, Pangasinan 128.3 percent; Navotas City 127.1 percent; and Binan City Laguna 123.6 percent.

De Guzman said that the continuous improvement of investors’ confidence and the increasing number of business establishments operating have contributed so much to the tax collection in this city.

She noted the adoption of Enhanced Tax Revenue Assessment and Collection System (ETRACS) and the implementation of Geographic Information System (GIS) were the main factor in the improvement of tax collection efficiency in Legazpi.

ETRACS is an automated assessment of taxes and other business fees while GIS produces thematic layers for planning and identification of delinquent tax payers and business operations.

“We are just waiting for the notice from the BLGF regional office to receive the certificate of recognition,” De Guzman said.

Mayor Noel E. Rosal said that Legazpi bagged the No. 1 spot in local tax collection when this city passed a criterion prepared by the BLGF that included the locally sourced revenue as well as collection efficiency and year-on-year growth in locally sourced revenue (LSR).

Rosal explained the city’s innovation and tax collection schemes, particularly its on-line payment using automated teller machine (ATM) credit and debit cards through the facilities of Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) helped a lot of improvement of tax collection efficiency.

“The online payment schemes are providing convenience to our tax payers” Rosal said.