BIR lauds Braganza for donation

Alaminos City Mayor Nani Braganza

Assistant Revenue District Officer and Atty. Elmer Carolino

 By Mortz C. Ortigoza

ALAMINOS CITY- A top honcho of the Bureau of Internal Revenue who supervises Western Pangasinan lauds this city’s mayor Hernani Braganza for giving this tax office a permanent land the BIR can calls its own.

Assistant Revenue District Officer and Atty. Elmer Carolino said that Mayor Braganza understand the predicament of the BIR officials here thus he interceded for the Sangguniang Bayan (town’s council) to approve a 300-Square Meter lot at Brgy. Palamis here.

“Meron kasi kaming allocation from the national office na magtatayo ng three – storey building worth P24 million. Problema wala kasi kaming lupa kaya humingi kami ng tulong sa local government,” he stressed.

Revenue District-5 presently leased a limited edifice where it shares with other government offices like the Social Security System.

In the past, Pangasinan Governor Amado T. Espino has told the BIR here that it can relocate to the capital town Lingayen where the provincial government appropriated it with a lot where it can build its office there.

Call it economics strategic location to serve better the taxpayers who live at the western side of the province, RD-5 led by Revenue District-5 officer Quirino Ramos, Jr. chose the offer of Braganza instead.

“It’s a legacy of the local government na magpatayo (building) na hindi na ma-aalis dito iyong BIR”.

An economist who asked anonymity said the presence of an office of the tax agency is good for the economy of this city as taxpayers as far as the towns of Binmaley and Agno come her to pay their taxes and patronize the goods and services of the businessmen here.

Meanwhile, Atty. Carolino said RD-5 performed good in the voluntary compliance of the taxpayers in the first six months of the year compared to last year.

He deplored however the sluggish performances of government projects where BIR collects Value Added Tax and income taxes.

“We should remember na policy direction ni presidenti (Benigno Aquino III) noong umupo siya with regards to government spending, e talagang re-rendahan compared doon sa collection namin sa withholding sa government projects. Ngayon bumaba na talaga kasi halos walang gumagalaw,” Carolino explained.

He said that taxes from these government projects under his jurisdiction are included in the collection target for 2011 given by the national tax office for RD-5.

BIR Regional Director Atty. Arnel Guballa shared the same dilemma with Carolino.

The director bewailed that as of April 2011 his office, that supervises the provinces of two Ilocos, La Union, and the Pangasinan, collected P695 million versus the P 633 million collection’s last year.

However he said the goal given to him for the said month was P755 million but he was short by P59 million. He deplored the higher goal that runs as high as 20% given to him by the tax bureau’s central office.

“I would say, sabi ko nga we collected fairly because our collection for this year is purely coming from the tax payers. Unlike last year na we have many government projects kasi election year, and one, yes, iyong projects ng Ondoy (a super typhoon) as government projects. Ngayong 2011 wala na iyong factors na iyon. So I can say na justified din iyon (the April collection). It was really a good performance and I am very proud of my districts na notwithstanding na wala kaming government projects at present na wala na ngayon we were able to increase our collection by P15 % over last year,” he explained