Makati City and Manila City next top performing cities with highest tax collections
(Eagle News) – Quezon City was named as the country’s top-performing city in terms of local revenue generation after it collected P22.9 billion in taxes last year, the Department of Finance said.
In a memo released by the DOF-Bureau of Local Government (DOF-BLGF), Quezon City ranked no. 1 among all the cities in the country in terms of tax collections or locally sourced revenues (LSR) in 2021, followed by Makati City with P13.7 billion tax collection, and the city of Manila with P11.566 billion tax collections.
In a release, Quezon City government treasurer Ed Villanueva cited the strong commitment of the administration of Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte as “the most important driver” of Quezon City’s success in getting tax collections.
Villanueva said there were significant improvements too in the way Quezon City citizens transact with the city government.
“In various ways, they have expressed their satisfaction with the quality of programs and services that were made available to them. They trust that their hard-earned money would translate into efficient public services for all,” he said.
The city’s tax income came from real property tax, business tax and other taxes, such as amusement, transfer, and contractors among others.
According to Villanueva, the streamlining efforts of the city, which includes the use of online QC E-Services and the establishment of satellite offices for tax payment have helped ease processes and encouraged more business owners to settle their dues.
Quezon City mayor Joy Belmonte said the city was able to increase the annual local revenue by more than P10 billion.
“We are honored to share this milestone with every QCitizen. Because of your continued trust and support of our administration, we have been able to increase our annual local revenue by more than P10 billion since we assumed office,” Belmonte said.
The Quezon City government was also cited as a hall of famer under the special category ‘Local Revenue Generation Hall of Fame’ after it consistently ranked first in tax collection among cities nationwide from 2018 to 2020.
Belmonte’s decision to allow a staggered payment scheme for underdeclared and undeclared business taxes instead of hefty penalties also encouraged businessmen to settle their obligations, added Villanueva.
Meanwhile, third placer Manila Manila, with local tax collections of P11.56 billion was also part of the “Highest LSRs Hall of Fame” by BLGF, having placed third from 2018 to 2021.
After Quezon City, Makati City and Manila, the other cities in the top 10 with the highest locally sourced revenues are the following: Taguig City at rank 4 (P10.7 billion); Pasig City at rank 5 (P8.6 billion); Paranaque City at rank 6 (P6.2 billion); Pasay City at rank 7 (P5.3 billion); Davao City at rank 8 (P5.1 billion); Mandaluyong City at rank 9 (P4.3 billion); and Valenzuela City at rank 10 (P3.89 billion).
(Eagle News Service)