Treñas wants Iloilo to be IRA-Independent

ILOILO CITY, July 17 (PNA) –- Iloilo City lone district Rep. Jerry Treñas is encouraging the city government not to rely solely on the annual Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) from the national government.

Treñas said that the IRA is not enough for all of the city’s projects and programs, adding that the city should also look for other sources of funds by focusing on business-friendly programs, tapping the expertise of the business community and enticing call center companies to invest.

He also urged Mayor Jed Mabilog to work on the infrastructure needs of the city to attract more business players. He said that the city should also continue its drive on efficient tax collections.

The current sources of funds for the city also include collections from the police clearances, balance of calamity fund, City Hall building bank interest, taxes from real property and the business taxes, as well as from the public markets.

The IRA is the share given by the national government to local government units according to their classification. Iloilo City’s annual IRA is around P40 million only.

But the congressman laments that the share of the city is getting smaller with the addition of new cities every year. This is the reason why the city should strive to be IRA-independent in the future, Trenas said. (Philippine News Agency)
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