The Department of Finance and the Department of the Interior and Local Government have issued a joint circular providing the guidelines in setting reasonable rates for regulatory fees and other service charges as part of ongoing government efforts to improve the ease of doing business in the country.
Joint Memorandum Circular 2019-01, signed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, was issued to ensure that LGU fees do not unduly burden the public but are imposed only to help local governments recover the costs of services they render while making them more business friendly.
“In order to help LGUs build strong enabling environment for good local governance and serve our constituents fairly, particularly the business sector, we enjoin all LGUs to review, adjust, and/or revise their local revenue ordinances in accordance with the rationalized procedure for setting fees and charges,” the circular said.