Enough of budget delays — Palace

The government operated with a reenacted budget in the first months of this year.

The Palace said it is incumbent for Congress to preclude any chance of another budget reenactment since the nation had already witnessed and felt its effect.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Congress should speed up their deliberations and immediately pass the 2020 budget on time to ensure that last year’s delays are not repeated.

The government operated with a reenacted budget in the first months of the year.

Nograles made the remark as plenary debates on the proposed P4.1 trillion 2020 budget started last Monday after its approval at the House of Representatives on third reading.

Nograles noted that the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) would undergo thorough examination before it reaches the Senate.

Once approved by the Senate, he said the 2020 GAB would immediately undergo bicameral discussions and would be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for signing.

“We fully expect President Duterte to sign the GAB by mid-December,” Nograles said.

It would be recalled that the 2019 budget worth P3.7 trillion was signed by the Chief Executive only last April after Congress failed to pass the legislation, resulting in delays in the implementation of major government programs and projects.

“The members of the Senate promised that they would give priority to the budget’s approval. We’re hoping the senators ensure that last year’s delays would not happen again,” Nograles said.

“We saw the negative effects of the budget impasse on the economy and on government projects, particularly on sectors involved in job generation and livelihood creation. These should be avoided this time around,” he added.

The Palace official said any delays in the budget passage would adversely affect initiatives to combat poverty and hunger.

“We are fully expecting that Congress would support the expansion of programs that would address poverty concerns in 32 priority provinces targeted by the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP), which aims to achieve #GoodbyeGutom,” Nograles said.

He said among the priorities of government is to provide funds to address the education and health needs of schoolchildren.

Nograles stressed that it is the desire of the Duterte administration to provide free insurance coverage under the Universal Health Care Act.