Batac mayor Jeff Nalupta |
By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff reporter
Batac
City—The city government here is expecting a
multi-million peso increase in its 2015 annual budget after the passage of
their new revenue code.
The local finance committee
however is still finalizing the consolidated estimated local revenues and
expenditures as of the second week of November.
Batac mayor Jeffrey Jubal
Nalupta is hopeful they would complete and pass the budget in time for its
approval by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
He disclosed that next year’s
budget would be higher that this year as the forecasted increase in revenues
from the newly amended revenue code has been factored in.
The
Ilocos Times learned that the delay in the
finalization of the proposed budget was due to the new revised revenue code,
which the local finance committee waited for.
The approved revenue code
however will still need the final approval of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Batac officials however have
used the new revenue code as basis for the computation of the proposed budget.
In addition to this, the
executive department has also submitted drafts for the new market and
slaughterhouse codes to the council for finalization and approval.
Mr. Nalupta stated that this
will be the first time that Batac will have separate marker and slaughterhouse
codes as it has always been included in the general revenue code.
He explained that the Batac
public market is one of the city government’s biggest earners and as such
should have a revenue code of its own.
Batac’s budget for 2014
topped P300 million and officials here expect a big increase for next year as a
result of the new revenue code.
Relative to this, Mr. Nalupta
appealed to his constituents to be more understanding since it has been a long time
that the city had amended its revenue code. He added that the old revenue code was
enacted when Batac was still a municipality and they now need change to suit
its conversion to a city.
Mr. Nalupta also stressed
that real property taxes should have been revised four times in the past but
they have not done so,
He also disclosed that the
market and slaughterhouse codes are still being discussed at the council as
market officials have been called in for queries.
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