THE Baguio City Council has authorized the city mayor to negotiate and enter into an agreement with either Globe Telecommunications or another equally-qualified online payment service provider in line with a push to adopt additional alternative payment options for taxes, fees and charges.
The council has stated that said agreements have to be based on comparative advantages threshed out through a comparative evaluation among possible implementing organizations.
Currently, the city is working with the Land Bank of the Philippines to integrate their online payment system, Link.BizPortal, with GCash in order to make said platform a usable payment alternative for Baguio locals.
In March, Mayor Benjamin Magalong issued a letter requesting for authority to enter into an agreement with Globe Telecom to make GCash an available payment mode for taxes and fees.
The city council passed resolution no. 301, series of 2022, granting Mayor Benjamin Magalong authority to negotiate and enter into an agreement with Globe Telecom and any other equally qualified online payment service provider for the adoption of additional or alternative mode of payment of taxes, fees and charges due to the city government subject to confirmation by the local legislature.
It states that the confirmation shall be based on shown advantages or justifications for the adoption of the service provider over others as may be presented in a comparative evaluation made for the purpose.
The august body considered the mayor’s letter dated May 13, 2022 requesting authority to enter into an agreement with the telecom company to avail of GCash as a payment mode for taxes, fees and charges being paid to the city by the public.
According to the council, the move to enter into online tax payments is integral to speed up government processes, and proceed with the Smart City project.
Online payment is fast becoming a convenient, safe, reliable and honest way of paying obligations, the approved measure states.
It states that, “online payment is one among the schemes to realize the Speeding-up Government Processes and Smart City programs which are among the core agenda of the administration to be pursued aggressively to be available to the public by the end of the year”.
Currently, the city government is working with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to integrate with their online payment system – Linkbiz Portal to make GCash – which is not yet available in the LBP portal – as a way of payment by the public to the city, the resolution states.
“Taking into consideration the urgent need to adopt online payment as a convenient and practical alternative in the payment of taxes, fees and charges to the city government of Baguio, legislative support will have to be provided to the request,” it states. – with reports from Gaby B. Keith
