ROEL N. CATOTO
Online contributing editor
The Mindanao Enquirer
SURIGAO CITY: THIS city will soon experience a big boost in its local economy once the P120-million in back taxes from the Philippine Nickel Corporation (PHILNICO) will be collected by the local treasury.
The huge collectible amount was derived from PHILNICO’S unpaid real property taxes which the nickel company had failed to settle since 1997 until present.
Mayor Alfonso Casurra was said to be itchy to collect the back taxes.
Once fully collected, the said amount will be used to finance aqua-marine and agriculture cultivations, micro-loan grants for cooperatives, construction of a city arcade to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers of shoppers and game-players, completion of the city boulevard in order to attract more tourists.
A portion of the money will also be used for the development of identified tourist spots and many more income-generating projects. Its expected return of investment (ROI), on the other hand, is believed more than enough to provide an increase in the salaries and other monetary benefits of hundreds of city hall employees and to sustain the employment of hundreds of casual employees, Casurra said.
It can be recalled that in 1984, PHILNICO stopped its processing operations in Nonoc Island, this city, when the management declared bankruptcy after a series of militant strikes conducted by its restive workers.
Thereafter, the nickel plant became mothballed with some of its equipments and steel structures were gradually cannibalized by some displaced workers and local residents.
In 1987, it was placed under the Assets Privatization Trust (APT), a government agency in-charged of selling the said nickel plant to interested foreign investors.
Since then until today, Philnico had failed to pay the RPTs due them. The city government, on its part, did not make aggressive tax collections believing that the said company had remained inoperative through the years.
Just recently, confirmed reports reaching city hall authorities revealed that the said nickel company had, allegedly, been making millions and millions of money as it resumed operations, in clandestine style, over the past several years until now.
Unlike before when the company was exporting processed nickel ores, this time; it is reportedly exporting raw mineral ores to transnational destinations with the continued shipments being hauled by large foreign barges.
Confidential sources disclosed that a single large barge loaded with raw mineral ores is oblige to pay at least P600,000 in port charges with the Philippine Ports Authority once the vessel could be intercepted by its port police and operations personnel.
The recent directive of Casurra aimed at collecting the unpaid taxes of Philnico was warmly received by majority of Surigaonons who admired his “iron hand” and firm resolve against some “cheating” executives of the said nickel company.
Meanwhile, legal officer Carlo Reynaldo Lozada, Jr. stated that the city government would formally send a demand letter to Philnico asking the latter to pay the more than one hundred million pesos of back taxes in RPTs due the city.
Unlike before when the company was exporting processed nickel ores, this time; it is reportedly exporting raw mineral ores to transnational destinations with the continued shipments being hauled by large foreign barges.
Confidential sources disclosed that a single large barge loaded with raw mineral ores is oblige to pay at least P600,000 in port charges with the Philippine Ports Authority once the vessel could be intercepted by its port police and operations personnel.
The recent directive of Casurra aimed at collecting the unpaid taxes of Philnico was warmly received by majority of Surigaonons who admired his “iron hand” and firm resolve against some “cheating” executives of the said nickel company.
Meanwhile, legal officer Carlo Reynaldo Lozada, Jr. stated that the city government would formally send a demand letter to Philnico asking the latter to pay the more than one hundred million pesos of back taxes in RPTs due the city.