MORE NEWS, KALINGA

Mayors want mine taxes
BY DEXTER A SEE

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Kalinga Mayors League supports a call of President Arroyo for the multi-national companies to pay tax directly to local government units hosting their mining projects.

The tax is the share of the LGUs from exploitation of natural resources in their communities.

During a press conference held recently at the DILG office here, the mayors welcomed the President’s directive, saying the scheme wouldl contribute much to the generation of revenues for their localities.

Tabuk City Mayor Camilo Lammawin Jr., president of the Kalinga Mayors League, said municipalities will benefit if they share directly from taxes levied from mining companies.

Balbalan Mayor Allen Jesse Managaoang, league’s vice president, said direct payment to LGUs of mining companies’ share from revenues derived from the operation of mining companies in the different municipalities will surely improve the financial capabilities of local government to undertake more development projects.

“We are not only talking of taxes and fees levied from these mining companies but also projects which are financed by the companies and from which the community could benefit,” said Pasil Mayor James Edduba.

He said social services, employment of the residents, construction and improvement of the roads and bridges and the development of the facilities for use by the people are the services people want from these companies doing business in their areas of jurisdiction.

Edduba said taxes from these companies could mean not only money but also projects and social services.

In its January-to-June 2007 report, Makilala Mining Inc. stated it directly hired residents of Pasil, paid casual teachers, built two suspension foot bridges, and rendered social services during its exploration in Balatoc.

But while the mayors support the policy of tapping natural resources in their respective municipalities and opening them to commercial exploitation to outside investors, the final say will always come out from the people.

The completion of the concreting of the Tabuk-Bontoc road is one of the projects President Arroyo wants fiinished with additional funding from taxes derived from multi-national companies operating in their areas.

Kalinga has vast potentials of mineral deposits still untapped. It has been extensively prospected for gold, copper, and other metallic and non-metallic minerals based from the studies conducted by private and government geologists, and mining engineers.

There were 11 mining prospects identified in the province, excluding those identified by BBGMI which operated until 1986.

Engineer Ricardo Dang-iw, key Mines and Geosciences Bureau personnel in Kalinga, said 13 exploration-permit applications are under evaluation, while three are already granted.

These permits are for Wolfland Resources Inc. Cordillera Exploration Inc and Makilala Mining Co. with on-going exploration of mineral resources in Tabuk, Pinukpuk, and Pasil, respectively.