INQUIRER Global Nation

Cebu City will reduce its debt payments to the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and allocate P8 million for next year's Sinulog celebration.

These are some of the budget items set for deliberation next week as the Cebu City Council deferred approval of the city's 2009 general fund worth P2.5 billion.

Councilor Jose Daluz III said P654 million out of the P663 million set aside for debt payments goes to the JBIC loan for the South Road Properties (SRP).

Daluz said they plan to reduce the amount to avoid exceeding the 20 percent ceiling for total loan payment provided by the Philippine Constitution

Meanwhile, a beerhouse owner complained in yesterday’s public hearing that a new P10 amelioration tax proposed by the city was excessive.

Nancy Bayanihan, who owns an establishment in donwtown Junquera Street, said she found it hard to pay the current P1 tax per customer, how much less the higher tax of P10.

Other citizens at the hearing supported the new tax. Zenaida Amores of the Bantay Banay group said women and children benefit from the fund collected from the tax. Businessman Ronald Diola expressed support for the tax ordinance, which would provide funds for an Accelerated Social Amelioration Program (Asap). He said it was a Christan response to the common sight of child beggars on the streets.

The tax is collected from business owners for every customer of night clubs, cockpits, karaoke clubs, beerhouses, and similar establishments.

The City Counil will deliberate next week on the budget including special accounts worth P458 million.

Around P8 million was set aside for the Sinulog Foundation Inc. despite a Commission on Audit (COA) circular prohibiting the release of funds to non-government organizations (NGOs) headed by government officials or their relatives.

The council appropriated P44 million for peace and order programs and P65.7 million for garbage collection. With a report from Correspondent Jully Venus Cuizon