• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The provincial government of Negros Occidental is stepping up its campaign to raise more local revenues, following the reduction of more than P700 million in its National Tax Allotment from the national government.
Lacson reported yesterday that the Economic Enterprise Development Department over performed in 2022, noting that the Cyber Center earned P99,595,000, surpassing the P15 million target by more than 500 percent, after taking over its management.
“Our Mambukal catering also surpassed the P15 million target, with 20 million revenues, as well as the Ayala rentals also surpassed the P35 million target to P51 million, by reason of our collection efficiency,” he added.
This year, we will be expecting better revenues for Mambukal, as they will no longer be strict in (COVID-19) vaccine records. They are very hopeful for Mambukal, Lacson further said.
The Negros Residences has also started to accept bookings for conventions and related activities, as well as hotel guests.
Admitting that it may not offset the P700 million NTA reduction, Lacson said “but just to improve our local revenue system is good enough.”
Knowing that the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise sector in the country is the engine of economic growth, job creation, and poverty eradication; with MSMEs comprising 99.5 percent of business establishments; 63 percent of the country’s workforce and 40 percent of the country’s GDP in the past years, we will strengthen our assistance to them through our SSF or shared service facilities, the governor said.
We are going to start the Showroom for the products coming from our shared facility, where farmers will provide the raw materials, which will be paid by the province, Lacson said.
Such raw materials will be processed in our processing plant, and the Province will market the products and find the buyers, to help our farmers and to establish the brand name, Abanse Negrense Products, he added.
Lacson said they will also pursue the Organic Trading Posts and continue their subsidy to rice farmers and post-harvest support through mechanization, as well as hiring of Job Order Employees to assist farmers in all phases of the planting cycle.
This is also in support to our President Bongbong Marcos’ rice sufficiency program, he further said.
The governor also expects more local revenues from the Food Terminal Market, with its Food Court and Meeting Rooms and offices of the DTI and Technology and Livelihood Development Center will also be stationed at the FTMON area.*
