LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The provincial government of Benguet wants an increased share from the taxes generated by the operation of the 345-megawatt San Roque multi-purpose dam in San Manuel, Pangasinan, invoking the fact that the water, the main ingredient in power generation, comes from the watersheds of Benguet.

Benguet Gov. Nestor B. Fongwan said he will lead a delegation from the province to talk with their Pangasinan counterparts in a bid to realize their ambition in increasing the province’s share from the national wealth tax being paid by the operator of the second biggest dam in Asia.

He expressed confidence that Pangasinan officials will understand their plight for an improved version of an earlier agreement to increase the tax share of the province so that the funds will be utilized to implement more development projects within the host communities in order to improve the economic activities of the people.

In 2007, Fongwan was able to work out a 50-50 sharing of the national wealth tax arising from the operation of the San Roque dam which is located within the boundary of Benguet and Pangasinan.

The basis of the equal sharing originated from the fact that while the dam’s plant is located in San Manuel, Pangasinan, the dam’s reservoir and watershed is hosted by Itogon, Benguet.

Under the government’s policy on the national wealth tax, 60 percent is retained by the national government while 40 percent will be shared by the host provinces, municipalities and barangays (villages).