DBM chief pumiyok sa P112B `standby’ fund sa 2027 national budget

Lumutang sa pagdinig ng House committee on appropriations ang halos P112 bilyong unprogrammed appropriation ng pamahalaan sa ilalim ng panukalang

2027 National Expenditure Program na nagkakahalaga sa kabuuan ng P7.2 trilyon.

Ito’y matapos aminin ni Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Kim Robert de Leon na may nakalaang P111.984 bilyong unprogrammed appropriation sa pambansang badyet sa susunod na taon.

Kinuwestiyon naman ni Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima kung bakit mayroon pang unprogrammed appropriation sa panukalang 2027 national budget samantalang may constitutional issue na aniya sa pondong ito.

“Why does the executive department insist on including unprogrammed appropriations in its annual NEP. despite serious constitutional issues involved?” tanong ni De Lima sa mga miyembro ng Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) na kinabibilangan ni De Leon.

Ayon sa mambabatas, pinagdedebatehan ngayon sa Korte Suprema ang apat na petisyon na kinukuwestiyon ang constitutionality ng nasabing pondo dahil hindi idinetalye kung saan ginagamit ang unprogrammed appropriations at tanging ang pangulo ang may kapangyarihan magpasya kung saan gagamitin ito.

“The inclusion of the unprogrammed appropriations in the national expenditure program recognizes both the need for the projects to be funded under the unprogrammed appropriations, which by the very nature are still contingent and depending on the triggers as we have proposed in the NEP,” sagot naman ni De Leon.

“While we are cognizant that there are petitions being heard by the Supreme Court, the executive maintains, but upon submission of the UA has limited the proposed uses of the unprogrammed appropriations to only those which are really necessary for 2027,” paliwanag pa ng kalihim.

Bagama’t mas maliit ang unprogrammed appropriations para sa susunod na taon kumpara sa mga nakaraang national budget, sinabi ni De Lima na dapat tanggalin na ito ng tuluyan dahil sa isyu ng constitutionality ng nasabing pondo.

“Just to be very clear, hindi ko po sinasabi na bawasan ito, hindi ko rin po sinasabi na zero ito. Pero ang sinasabi ko po is that kailangan ay tanggalin ng tuluyan. I have really very serious constitutional question about unprogrammed appropriations for most of which is an undue delegation of the Congress’s power of the purse,” ani De Lima.

“Para maiwasan ang korapsiyon at pag-abuso sa paggamit ng pondong ito tulad ng nangyari sa maanomalyang flood control projects, hindi lang dapat bawasan, hindi lang dapat i-zero, kundi dapat tanggalin na ang UA sa pambansang budget,” dagdag pa ng mambabatas.

Sa paliwanag ng DBM, ang unprogrammed appropriations ay isang uri ng standby fund na inaprubahan ng Kongreso at maaari lamang gastusin kung may sobra sa inaasahang koleksyon ng kita ang pamahalaan, o kung mayroong dumating na pautang mula sa ibang bansa. (Bernard Taguinod)

The post DBM chief pumiyok sa P112B `standby’ fund sa 2027 national budget first appeared on Tonite - Abante.

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