BAGUIO CITY – The local legislative body deferred its action on the proposed P2.175 billion proposed annual budget of the local government next year pending the submission of the city’s local finance committee on the updated income statement that will reflect a possible increase in the appropriations.
The decision of the local legislative body to defer its action on the proposed annual budget came after the city’s local finance committee informed some local legislators that it is not ready to present the desired revision on the income statement that will result to an increase in the proposed budget.
Earlier, the local legislative body proposed to the city’s local finance committee the possible revision of the income statement of the annual budget to reflect an increase in next year’s appropriations to allow more development projects to be funded and to enhance the delivery of basic services to the people.
Local legislators agreed to calendar the deliberation of the proposed annual budget as soon as the local finance committee shall have submitted the proposed revision of the income statement and the expenditures.
If the local legislative body will not be able to approve the proposed annual budget by the end of this year, the local government will be operating on a re-enacted budget using the P2.056 billion budget of the city this year pending the approval of the 2019 proposed budget next year.
Under the provisions of the Local Government Code, the local legislative body is given 90 days next year to approve the proposed annual budget and it is not allowed to calendar any other matter for deliberation until such time that the annual budget of the city will be approved.
On October 16, 2018, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan transmitted to the local legislative body the proposed 2019 annual budget amounting to P2.175 billion for possible enactment by the end of the year.
Section 319 of the Local Government States that on or before the end of the current fiscal year, the Sanggunians concerned shall enact, through an ordinance, the annual budget of the local government unit for the ensuing fiscal year on the basis of estimates of income and expenditures submitted by the local chief executive.
Part of the documents submitted to the local legislative body for approval include the city’s Annual Investment Plan (AIP) that outline the expenditures where the P2.175 billion annual budget will be utilized among other purposes.
For the past 5 years or from 2014 to 2018, the annual budget of the local government increased by an average of 10 percent that allowed the implementation of various development projects that benefited the general public.
The members of the local finance committee are still ascertaining what aspects of the income statement could still be dusted so that the local government’s available resources will not be exhausted that could result to a budget deficit once it will not be appropriately given sufficient attention.
By Dexter A. See