GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The provincial government of Sarangani has extended until year-end its tax amnesty program for real properties with tax delinquencies.
Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon said on Wednesday they stretched the amnesty program until December 31 to give taxpayers from the province’s seven municipalities more time to settle their dues.
He said the extension was based on Provincial Tax Ordinance 2018-9-007 passed last month by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan or provincial board.
The amnesty, which started in October last year, was originally set until September 30 or for one year.
Under the program, the local government waives the interest, penalty and surcharges for all delinquent real properties.
“They [property owners] just have to settle the principal amount of their real property tax dues,” the governor said. Solon said the extended tax amnesty program applies to all individual and corporate property owners in the province.
Citing a report from the Provincial Treasurer’s Office (PTO), he said the provincial government’s real property tax collection since the implementation of the amnesty already reached around P22 million.
He said such figure includes the collections made by the province’s seven municipal treasurer’s offices.
Provincial Board Member Cornelio Martinez, chairman of the board’s finance committee, said the total collections could surpass the province’s P200-million target based on the assessment made by the PTO and the Provincial Assessor’s Office.
He said negotiations are ongoing with an undisclosed telecommunications company for the settlement of its realty tax dues amounting to around P300 million.