Tax take barometer of Tacloban recovery
TACLOBAN CITY—The city, considered to be ground zero of Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” is slowly recovering nearly two years after entire communities were all but wiped out by the strongest storm ever to make landfall.
According to the city treasurer’s office, tax collection has risen steadily since Yolanda struck on Nov. 8, 2013 and flattened highly populated villages. Business activity, however, has not yet reached levels prior to Yolanda, according to the office.
Zosima Cordaño, city treasurer, said the city government collected P262.3 million in business taxes from January to September this year.
It was higher than the P195.5 million in business taxes collected in the same period last year.
“So far, so good. We are slowly recovering from our losses after Yolanda,” Cordaño said.
The treasurer said the city government’s tax collection target for 2015 is P397.3 million.
The city government, she said, needs to collect P135.6 million more to reach the target.
“For us to reach our collection target, we are intensifying our efforts like sending notices to business operators to pay their obligations to the city government,” she said
Cordaño said city revenue officials have to reach the target amount to be able to fund the operations of the city government next year.
She said part of the income would be used in the city government’s programs for the rehabilitation and recovery of areas hit by Yolanda.
“We have to meet our target. Otherwise, there are services that may be affected like our rehabilitation in the northern barangays,” she said.
The city government has identified five villages in the city’s northern section as rehabilitation sites for survivors who lost their homes during Yolanda.
These are New Kawayan, Sto. Niño, Sta. Elena, Cabalawan, Tagpuro and Suhi.
Aside from business taxes, another fund source for the city is its share of internal revenue allotment which reached P543.2 million.
According to Cordaño, at least 8,200 business establishments are now operating in Tacloban.
Some establishments have resumed operations but have yet to acquire permits from the city government, she said.
Before Yolanda struck, at least 17,000 business establishments were operating in Tacloban.
