THE city government thru the Sangguniang Panlungsod has passed a P357 million budget for Dagupan this year.

Increased by only P7 million from last year’s P350 million outlay, this year’s budget was enacted through City Ordinance No. 1856-2006 during the regular session on January 9.

Councilor Michael Fernandez, SP committee chairman on finance and ways and means, expressed optimism that the recent enactment of the updated revenue code would enable the city to increase its revenue collection to meet its expenses.

The SP earlier ratified the first revenue code of Dagupan City through City Ordinance No. 1855 that consolidated all the taxes and fees collected by the city and updated all existing revenue related ordinances.

The P357 million budget is broken down into: 1) current operating expenses that include services, P123,929,074.10 and maintenance and other operating expenses, P31,023,274.00; 2) budgetary requirements, P128,121,000.00; 3) property, plant and equipment, P3,330,000.00; and 4) other capital outlay and non-office expenditures, P70,596,651.90.

City Administrator Rafael Baraan said that the capital outlay and non-office expenditures include basic services such as medical, social, educational, water and electricity, peace and order, among others.

“We are very optimistic that the city would be able to meet or even surpass its target revenue this year,” Baraan said even as he considered this year’s budget realistic. Last year, a serious collection shortfall caused the city to tighten up expenditures by the end of the year.

Baraan said that the city will be more aggressive in tax collection this year even as he noted that the computerization process at the One-Stop-Business Center (OSBC) will ensure efficient collection for the city.