City gov’t pushes bid to cut amusement tax

The Cebu City government is planning to lower the amusement tax to attract more performers and producers to hold events in the city and investors to built amusement parks in the city.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said the city government aims to make Cebu City as the amusement capital of the Philippines.
He said to reach this goal is to cut the amusement tax from 30 percent to 5 percent.

“ I am planning in the long run to propose to totally make it (amusement tax) zero. But we have to take it slow so that it will not affect our (tax) collection,” said Young.

Young said if the performers are from Manila, the city will charge 10 percent amusement tax and five percent for local performers.

The proposal however had yet to be approved by the City Council. Young, however, said that he was optimistic that it would be approved.

Councilor Joey Daluz sponsored the proposed resolution.
Young said he had also convinced City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva about the proposal.

Young said he told Oliva that the proposal would not affect tax collection because it would attract more producers and tourists to Cebu.

He said 15 percent of the audience of concerts by local performers held in Cebu are not from out of town.
These visitors will stay at hotels in the city.
“We want Cebu City to be a place where you can live for few days,” Young said.