Rama builds budget case before traders

A DAY before the Cebu City Council scrutinizes his proposed P11.8-billion budget, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama met with Cebu’s businessmen to ask for their support.

His presentation titled “So the people may know… this is where your taxes go” included a list of 65 important expenses in his draft budget amounting to a total of P3.7 billion.

“We are here to let you know that you are part of governance. In due time there will be a budget hearing and you might want to know what is going to happen,” Rama said.

Around 30 businessmen gathered at the social hall of the legislative building including Samuel Chioson, president of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Felomino Lim, president of the Fil-Chinese Business Chamber.

Rama told them there is no need to raise the city’s taxes to meet its revenue targets.

What the city needs is raise tax collection efficiency and implement tax mapping to make sure that businesses are able to pay the exact amount of taxes required from them.

On top of Rama’s priorities are the implementation of a comprehensive drainage system worth P500 million and the purchase of brand-new equipment at P200 million.

Also listed were road maintenance at P200 million, construction of new buildingsat P120 million; adn road widening/asphalting at P100 million each.

But Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said some businessmen friends who witnessed the mayor’s presentation expressed “distrust” of the mayor.

“They just do not trust the mayor and they question his credibility,” he told Cebu Daily News.

Young said they only came to the gathering to heed the mayor’s invitation.

At 1 p.m. today, the City Council will hold hearings on the mayor’s proposed 2012 budget.

Councilors Roberto Cabarrubias and Alvin Dizon are also setting up live streaming for the budget hearing, which can viewed at JustinTV and Ustream.