City Hall told to hasten release of tax shares to brgys

By: Gerome Dalipe

THE Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered the Iloilo City Accounting Office to hasten the release of P329,927.44 to various barangays as their shares of the real property taxes.

The city accountant agreed to provide the city treasurer the schedule of real property taxes and immediately release the shares to the barangays, the auditors said.

“Non-release of the remaining prior years’ barangay real property tax shares are contrary (to law) and deprived the barangays of additional funds to finance their operations,” read the COA report.

In its annual the report, the auditors said City Government failed to release to various barangays their shares of the real property taxes from amounting to P329,927.44 for years 2008 to 2009.

Section 271 (b) of R.A. 7160, or 1991 Local Government Code of the Philippines provides that the city shall distribute thirty percent of the proceeds of the basic tax shares.

A verification of the ledgers and examination of payrolls revealed that the shares of the barangays on the real property taxes collected by the City Government for the period 2016 to2017 were released in 2017 in full.

However, the balance of tax shares collected from 2008 to 2009 totaling P329,927.44 have not yet been released to the barangays.

During the exit, the city accountant said the failure to release the barangays’ shares are for the unknown covered period.

Also, she informed that as soon as the abstract is received from the city treasurer, quarterly payroll will be prepared.

In the report, the auditors asked the city accountant to provide the city treasurer the schedule of property tax shares of each barangay.

The subsidiary ledgers are necessary so the city treasurer can prepare the barangay sharing report based and immediately release the shares to the barangays.