ANGELES CITY – First District Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin said on Monday that traders and public utility drivers had asked him to run for mayor as they complained of “exorbitant” taxes imposed by the city government.
Lazatin said the “high and unfair taxes” charged by Mayor Edgardo “Ed” Pamintuan for the past two years had adversely affected small and prominent businesses.
He cited this as his main reason for running against his former political ally Pamintuan, who will seek re-election in 2013.
“I don’t want the way Mayor Pamintuan had run the government. He did not consider that life is hard for all, notably the small traders,” said Lazatin.
The two-term solon said Pamintuan had increased business and other taxes “so consistently high that they had complained to me.”
Worse, he added, Pamintuan had even required drivers of public utility jeepneys and tricycles to pay mayor’s permits.
“I have been bombarded by complaints of high increase in taxes in Angeles. The city government or any government for that matter should gradually increase taxes to help businesses cope with hard times and competitions,” said Lazatin. He added that in countries like Singapore the government “even subsidize ailing traders during crisis.”
Lazatin said he had been mayor for nine years from 1998 to 2007 but increased in taxes was “only 10 percent yearly.”
He added that when he first assumed his post as mayor the city had some P280 million annual income.
He added that when he stepped down in 2007, their yearly income had doubled at some P500 million.
“What’s the significance of all the taxes when businessmen in Angeles had not earned at all. They will close down and employment will suffer,” he added.
