DoTr 2020 budget approved in Senate

The Department of Transportation’s (DoTr) 2020 budget has been approved by the Senate Committee on Finance approved on Thursday.

The Senate committee greenlighted the P147-billion budget of the Transportation department for 2020 even as the agency asks for additional budget — including approximately P1.2 billion for 13 aviation projects.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chair of the Committee on Finance subcommittee, presided over the approval of the DoTr’s budget during a Senate hearing and will be submitted to the plenary for deliberation.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the DOTr has 13 aviation projects that were not included by the Department of Budget Management in the 2020 budget of the agency. Some of these projects are for night rating which will make more airports capable of receiving and launching flights at night.

“Night rating is very important not only in terms of mobility, but it is very important in relation to tourism, and also in security. That’s why they should give us additional considerations in including the night rating budgets,” said Tugade.

The Transport secretary noted that his agency has set its targets for the modernization plan of public utility vehicles, but it may extend the project beyond the term of President Rodrigo Duterte if it will require more time.

The proposed budget of the DOTr for 2020 is more than double than its approved budget of P67.67 billion for this year’s fiscal plan.