Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday appealed for the cooperation of the business sector in implementation of the new Revenue Code of Bacolod, given the existing circumstances of the city.

Leonardia said there is more reason for them to increase taxes because of the “double whammy” that is going to hit the city that will result in the reduction of its budget by P78 million.

The reduction in the Internal Revenue share and the conversion of 16 municipalities into cities is enough to upset the programs and projects of Bacolod for this year, he said.

Leonardia appealed to the businessmen to help in the smooth implementation of the New Revenue Code since they have already harvested the bonanza of the low tax rates that Bacolod had been offering for 18 years now.

It is about time and it is overdue, that they give to Bacolod what is due to it so the city could perform better, he said

Leonardia said the Tax Ordinance of Bacolod is 18 years old despite the fact that the Local Government Code provides that local governments should adjust their tax codes every five years.

“Anybody, who is not my political opponent, would agree that Bacolod has grown by leaps and bounds,” he said. “As it progresses, the needs of the people also increases,” he added.

“I am addressing this to the business sector since the tax Code is already obsolete,” Leonardia said.

He said Interior and Local Government Secretary Jess Robredo, in his speech in the assembly of the League of Cities recently, said he has observed that the quality of governance 20 years ago is different from now.

“They have questioned us why we did not adjust our Tax Codes since this is not in line with good governance,” Leonardia said.

As a finalist in the Most Business-Friendly City this year, among the questions asked was why the city did not adjust its Tax Code for 18 years, he said, and this was taken against them in the evaluation. So the Tax Code of Bacolod is not in consonance with good governance anymore, he added.

Leonardia said if the New Revenue Code will push through, this will not exactly benefit this administration but the future administrations.

“Every time they increase taxes there will be oppositions but… we always have to remember that, in the end, it will always be the rule of the majority,” he said.

Asked about the case of the former president, Leonardia said “We have a legal process but at the same time I hope Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is given all the due respect and all the courtesies due a former president.”

“At the same time, we have to wait for the development,” he said, “Because, for sure, the lawyers of Arroyo and the government are studying the matter. So, in the end, this is going to be a legal matter, he added.*CGS

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