KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews/24 January)—Tax collections last year in Region 12 reached P4.4 billion, surpassing the target set for the period by 6.1%, a Bureau of Internal Revenue official said yesterday.
In a statement, Rozil Lozares, BIR regional director, attributed the high collection in 2011 to the “splendid performance” of the five revenue district offices.
Also called Southwestern Mindanao, the region covers the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
They are under BIR Revenue Region No. 18, including Maguindanao province in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao due to its proximity to Cotabato City.
Teresita Socorro Ramos, National Economic Development Authority regional director, said the increase could be due to the intensified tax mapping on business establishments in the area.
In 2010, she noted the Regional Development Council even passed a resolution asking police and military security assistance for the BIR’s tax mapping operations.
Lozares said the revenue generated in 2011 was 6.1% or P254.09 million higher than their annual target of P4.2 billion.
This year, the BIR regional office aims to collect P5.1 billion in taxes under its jurisdiction.
He urged BIR workers in the region to double their efforts to achieve or even surpass the 2012 target to help the government deliver better basic services to the people.
Last year’s collection was 17.14% or P646.9 million higher than 2010’s P3.8 billion achievement, Lozares said.
Of the five revenue districts in the region, Sultan Kudarat province led in the biggest percentage increase in collection against the target for 2011.
It collected P664.7 million, which is P122.1 million or 22.51% higher than the P542.5 million target for 2011, data showed.
Despite experiencing major flooding last year, Cotabato City and Maguindanao province also fared well in tax collections contribution at P1.2 billion against the goal of P1.1 billion, or an excess of 10.26%, it added.
Kidapawan City and North Cotabato amassed P522.8 million against its goal of P504.9 million, or an excess 3.53% equivalent to P17.8 million.
Koronadal City’s and South Cotabato’s target for last year was pegged at P840 million, but collections were short by P45.1 million.
The General Santos City and Sarangani province revenue district office also fell short of its annual goal.
It collected P1.218 billion out of the 2011 revenue target of 1.249 billion, a deficit of 2.46% or P30.7 million. (Bong Sarmiento/MindaNews)
