The municipality of Tuba last week has formally requested the City of Baguio to pay the town’s share of the national wealth tax arising from the operation of the hydro electric power plants in barangays Tadiangan and Nangalisan.

In a resolution proposed by municipal councilors Adora Paus and Dick Balting, the municipal council of Tuba called on city officials led by city mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. to make good their word by paying the city’s obligation.

“As we said in the resolution, it would be a sign of good faith to a neighbor if the city fulfills its obligation,” said acting municipal vice mayor Blas Dalus.

The resolution also called on the city government to pay the required mayor’s permit for the operation of the plants, both of which are located in Tuba but are owned and operated by the city government.

The city council stressed that the city government, through councilor Rocky Thomas Balisong and city administrator Peter Fianza, committed to work for the payment of the municipality’s share of the national wealth tax.

The municipal council did not know how much the city owes the municipality as its share from the national wealth tax.

Fianza has assured earlier that the town would be paid its share once the proper computations have been made.

Mayor Florencio Bentrez said no payment has ever been made but acknowledged that the city has paid the other week the amount of P106,000 representing unpaid business taxes for the year 2007.

He said the amount is not even complete because the surcharges have not been added yet.

He said the town will still bill the city government an additional P30,000 for surcharges during the same period.

The tax payments represented part of the city’s obligations to the municipality as host of the mini-hydros in barangays Nangalisan and Tadiangan.

The city government has taken over the operation of the plants last December in the manner of an economic enterprise.