The city government here on Tuesday said it will be collecting unpaid local taxes and other dues from business owners without penalties, surcharges, and interests, as assistance amid the health crisis.

Mayor Alfred Romualdez on Monday endorsed two ordinances to the city council condoning the additional charges for non-payment of real property taxes and all other local taxes for 2019 and prior years.

“We hope to encourage the public to pay their contributions without the incurred penalties and other additional charges to mitigate the adverse economic impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic to the landowners, proprietors, and other residents here,” Romualdez said in a statement.

He added the proposed ordinances for immediate action of the city council. The city councilors are scheduled to convene on Wednesday.

As of Monday, the city has 695 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 490 recoveries and 10 deaths, based on the monitoring report of its health office.

Earlier, Romualdez cited its best practices that contributed to the reduction of coronavirus cases in the city for the past week.

These include the early isolation of confirmed and suspected carriers, the use of digital tracking systems, enforcement of localized protocols in communities, and the transfer of families in highly-populated areas to different Yolanda housing projects in the northern part of the city.

Romualdez assured they have been closely working with the national government and all other concerned agencies to achieve its one goal of containing the spread of Covid-19.

“In times like this, close coordination and transparency are very critical. I want to thank the people here for cooperating and supporting us,” he added.

The city, the home to about 250,000 people, is the regional center and major commercial district of Eastern Visayas. (PNA)