Collectively, the four mining giants, which allegedly earned a combine earnings of P9.3 billion last year, still owes Eastern Samar province at least P133 million where some of the tax debts on the extracted minerals go from way back 2012.
'If paid, the collection will greatly help the province and the LGU’s development projects to help far flung areas in the island be more accessible, and to provide more schools for the communities.'
While the public is still helpless from the damage caused by mining companies, the province of Eastern Samar, on the other hand, is coming after them in terms of debt to settle.
For years, religious leaders and environmental advocates enjoined the locals to put a stop on the escalating chromite and nickel mining operations in the historical island of Homonhon in Guiuan, Eastern Samar but has been continuously being overridden by the prospect of money and “progress.”
Now, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone is voicing out a different complaint. The demand of the affected local government units to receive a share of the excise tax collected from mining operations in the island.
The four mining companies operating in the island — namely Techiron Resources, Inc., Emir Mineral Resources Corp., King Resources Mining Corp., and Global Min-met Resources, Inc. — are yet to give the LGUs share of the excise tax collected by the national government.
Already, the Provincial Treasurer’s Office demand letters with accompanying tax bills for the chromite extracted from Barangay Casuguran.
Collectively, these mining giants which allegedly earned a combine earnings of P9.3 billion last year still owes the province at least P133 million where some of the tax debts on the extracted minerals go from way back 2012 as computed based on the Ore Transport Permit (OTP) issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
Cambayas Mining Corp allegedly owes the province P96.56 million for the period 2012 to 2016, P22.56 million for Techiron Resources Inc. from 2017 up to 2021, Emir Mineral Resources Corp with P12.15 million for the years 2017 and 2022, and Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration & Development Corp with P2.58 million for 2013.
Evardone stated that if the companies refuse to settle their debt, the provincial government will be forced to seize their properties to satisfy their tax debts. These debts exclude the taxes on machineries and equipment being used by mining companies.
In addition to the computed debt, the province is still determining the assessed value of their tax liabilities on their machineries and equipment which is different from the excise taxes being paid by these mining companies to the national government.
Under the Local Government Code of 1991, local governments are entitled to 40 percent of the gross earnings from “mining taxes, royalties from mineral reservations, forestry charges, and fees and revenues collected from energy resources” in their areas.
The collected tax will then be divided among local government units hosting the mining operations, 40 percent of which is for the village, 30 percent for the municipality, and 30 percent for the province.
If paid, the collection will greatly help the province and the LGU’s development projects to help far flung areas in the island be more accessible, and to provide more schools for the communities.
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