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TALIWAS sa isinusulong na pagpapalakas ng seguridad at agrikultura ang laman ng 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP) na isinumite ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) sa Kongreso.
Sa ginanap na briefing ng Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), piniga ng Senado ang economic team ng administrasyon kaugnay ng paglalaan ng tumataginting na P215.642 bilyon para lang sa flood control projects ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) sa susunod na taon.
Ayon kay Sen. Francis Escudero, mas malaki pa ang inilaan budget ng DBM sa mga imprastrakturang naglalayon maibsan ang pagbaha kesa sa mga kagawarang nangangasiwa sa seguridad ng bansa at agrikultura.
“The allocation is lodged under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) proposed budget of P821.106 billion for the coming year,” ayon kay Escudero.
Sa pagsusuri ni Escudero, lumalabas aniyang mas malaki pa ang laang pondo sa flood control kumpara sa P197.84-billion allocation para sa sektor ng agrikultura at agrarian reform. Malayo din aniya ang P215.642 bilyon kumpara sa P105.910 bilyong alokasyon sa Department of Agriculture (DA), P153.461 bilyon sa railway program; at P229.934 bilyon para sa Department of National Defense (DND).
“On the macro, on the whole as DBCC, why did you allow one item in the budget of DPWH to be bigger than the Department of Agriculture, not only the Department of Agriculture, the entire agriculture sector for that matter,” patutsada ni Escudero.
“The fifth-biggest allocation, not even a department, is flood control. May I ask why that cap was given by the DBM and or the DBCC? If indeed we put a premium on agriculture and our country is an agricultural economy and the President is still the DA secretary, why is it bigger?” aniya pa.
Pangunahing tungkulin ng DBCC na rebyuhin at aprubahan ang macroeconomic targets, revenue projections, borrowing level, aggregate budget level, at expenditure priorities ng bansa.
Sa kabuuan, target ng administrasyon kumbinsihin ang Kongreso para pagtibayin ang panukalang P5.768-trillion NEP sa 2024.
Tugon naman ni Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, hindi nagbibigay ng hangganan ang DBM sa alokasyon dahil may internal formula ang DPWH sa pagbibigay ng cap sa bawat major project at programa.
“I guess all of the projects of the national government as mentioned are equally important, it’s just that we have limited fiscal space and on flood control, I guess it’s but timely to have that big amount of budget now with what’s happening,” ani Pangandaman.
