Monday, March 9, 2009 [ sunstar.com .ph ]
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Provincial Board Members Johnny Quiambao and Ricardo Yabut vowed Thursday to file a resolution seeking to defer further the implementation of the zonal valuation tax scheme in the province.
The call was made during the Provincial Board's (PB) session Tuesday.
The scheme, embodied in Department Orders 35-05 and 36-05 of the Department of Finance (DOF), has been the subject of concern last week because of its impending implementation on March 13.
The scheme has been "frozen" two years ago after the business sector raised an outcry regarding the drastic increase, up to 800 percent, of some prime real properties in the province.
During last week's Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (Pamcham)-initiated talks with officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) led by Revenue District Office Jose Paulino, the business community here once more sought the further deferment of the scheme pending review of the values and a consultation with concerned groups.
Quiambao, who chairs the PB's Committee on Agriculture, told Sun.Star Pampanga they are in consensus with the business sector and are registering their opposition to the implementation of the zonal valuation scheme because of the detrimental effects it would have on progress and development in the province.
"We object to the high increases of real properties here as raised by the business sector. The timing is not good since we are in the midst of an economic crisis. We should be giving incentives for would-be investors to the province but it seems with this plan, we are sort of shooing away prospects instead," Quiambao said.
He added that he and Yabut will talk and discuss the situation with their colleagues at the PB to address the impending implementation of the scheme.
"I do not see any reason why the board would not object to it. Definitely, we are in agreement when it comes to issues like this when stakeholders in the province are severely affected. We will pass the necessary resolution seeking to extend its suspension on first and final reading on Tuesday to avert its implementation on March 13," Quiambao said.
Yabut, for his part, said the PB would invite Paulino and the BIR officials to its session for further discussion of the zonal valuation scheme. (Jovi T. De Leon)
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