4 mining firms in Homonhon owe Eastern Samar over P133M in taxes

BORONGAN CITY, Philippines – The Eastern Samar provincial government has sent four mining firms operating in Homonhon Island, Guiuan demand letters for unpaid taxes with a collective value of P133 million.

A statement from the province named the companies: Cambayas Mining Corp, Techiron Resources Inc., Emir Mineral Resources Corp., and Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration & Development Corp.

The Provincial Treasurer’s Office sent the demand letters with accompanying tax bills.

The provincial government said some of the tax debts on extracted minerals go back to 2012, computed based on the Ore Transport Permit (OTP) issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

The province’s breakdown of tax liabilities are:

• Cambayas Mining Corp, P96.56 million for the period 2012 to 2016; 
• Techiron Resources Inc., P22.56 million from 2017 up to 2021; 
• Emir Mineral Resources Corp., P12.15 million for the years 2017 and 2022; and
• Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration & Development Corp., P2.58 million for 2013.

Extracted minerals fall under real property taxes under the Local Government Code of 1991, the Manual on Real Property Appraisal and Assessment Operations, and Provincial Ordinance No. 09-09 series of 2009, the province said.

The tax-delinquent companies have been extracting chromite in Brgy. Casuguran, Homonhon.

Presco A. Evardone, executive assistant of Governor Ben Evardone said the figures do not include taxes on machinery and equipment used by mining companies, which are still under determination.

He also pointed out that what the province is collecting is separate from the excise taxes that mining firms pay to the national government.

The province, he clarified, still needs to receive its share from the companies’ excise taxes.

The provincial government warned that failure to settle these outstanding tax amounts could lead to the seizure of the mining companies’ properties. – Rappler.com