Ni NOEL ABUEL
Nasa tamang direksyon ang Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso na maipapasa sa takdang araw ang pagtalakay sa P5.268-trillion national budget sa 2023.
“As of yesterday (Monday), 14 out of 34 agencies have briefed Congress regarding their respective budget proposals,” sabi ni Marikina City 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo, senior vice chairperson ng House Committee on Appropriations, sa Ugnayan sa Batasan Majority News Forum.
“With two more weeks of budget briefings, the appropriations committee, led by Chairperson Elizaldy Co, gladly shares that we are still on track with our target date to pass the GAB by October 1, 2022. On September 16, we are expected to finish the budget hearings and head on to plenary debates by September 21. Even before the budget hearings commenced, everyone took their tasks seriously by having clear communication lines with the agencies,” dagdag pa nito.
Ayon pa kay Quimbo, sa mga nakalipas na araw ay marami nang ahensya ng pamahalaan ang natalakay ang kani-kanilang pondo para sa susunod na taon.
“Healthy exchanges between departments and members of Congress transpired during the said budget briefings. Among the agencies that briefed the Committee on Appropriations were the DBCC, DA, DOE, DILG, the DENR, DOT, and the Office of the President. Today, the hearing for the DSWD is underway,” sabi ni Quimbo.
Ibinahagi nito na sa kasalukuyan, ang mga talakayan sa badyet ay umiikot sa ilan sa mga pangunahing prayoridad sa paggastos ng 2023 budget.
Kabilang dito ang Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Program at ang Total Electrification Program, at iba pa. Sinabi ni Quimbo na iba’t ibang isyu ang iniharap sa iba’t ibang ahensya sa buong pagdinig.
“Halos lahat ay humingi ng konsiderasyon sa kanilang mas mataas na budget proposal na sinumite sa DBM. Bagama’t sinuportahan ito ng maraming kongresista, hindi pa clearly identified ang mga programang pwedeng pagkunan ng budget increases. Ayon sa Konstitusyon, hindi na pwedeng palitan ang budget ceiling na 5.268 T. Kaya’t kung tataasan ang halaga ng isang budget item, kelangan bawasan ang isa pang budget
item,” pahayag ni Quimbo.
“Gayunpaman, hindi rin naman ganun kataas and budget utilization rate ng ilang ahensya. The absorptive capacity of the agencies is a
perennial challenge kaya dapat mapagtuunan talaga ng pansin ang pagbabantay sa execution ng budget,” dagdag pa nito.
Sa anumang kaso, sinabi ni Quimbo na naninindigan pa rin ang Kongreso sa layunin nito para sa mabilis na pagpasa ng GAB upang magbigay ng sapat na panahon para maisagawa nito ang mga oversight functions.
“This way, we can ensure that the agencies will not only use their respective budgets for programs in alignment with the new administration’s 8-point socioeconomic agenda but will also be genuinely felt by the Filipino people who will benefit from their
programs. Rest assured that we will continue to work harder to achieve these goals without compromising on producing a high-quality national budget aimed for prosperity,” paliwanag pa ni Quimbo.
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