TUMAAS pa rin ang infrastructure spending ng 13.4 percent para sa first quarter ng taon sa kabila na nag-operate ang pamahalaan sa ilalim ng re-enacted budget.
Sa report mula sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM), sa paglobo ng P21 billion, ang paggasta sa infrastructure at capital outlays (CO) ay umabot na sa P178.1 billion hanggang end-March kumpara sa P157.1 billion na naitala sa kaparehong panahon noong nakaraang taon.
Ayon sa DBM, ang pagtaas ng infrastructure spending ay dahil sa pagbabayad ng accounts payables para sa nakumpletong infrastructure projects noong mga naunang taon.
Para sa buwan lamang ng Marso, ang infrastructure spending ay bumaba ng 5.7 percent o P3.6 billion mula sa kahalintulad na panahon noong nakaraang taon.
Mula sa 63.4 billion noong Marso 2018, ang paggasta para sa infrastructure at capital outlays hanggang end-March ngayong taon ay umabot lamang sa P59.7 billion.
Ilang ahensiya ng pamahalaan ang hindi nakapagpatupad ng mga bagong proyekto sa ilalim ng Capital Out-lays dahil ang gobyerno ay nag-o-operate sa ilalim ng re-enacted budget.
“Despite the growth in the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) disbursements for payment of prior years’ accounts payables for completed roads, bridges and school buildings (P11.7 billion or 42.7 percent year-on-year), a significant decline in capital expenditures was recorded in some agencies such as the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Education (DepEd). The said agencies were unable to implement new CO projects such as the construction of police stations, purchase of equipment under the Capabil-ity Enhancement Program of DILG, and repair and rehabilitation of school buildings due to limitations in release of funds under the re-enacted budget,” nakasaad sa report ng DBM.
“Lower infrastructure spending in March was also partly because of the timing of the recording of the Constructive Cash Receipts or those goods and services directly paid to the supplier for foreign-assisted projects of the Department of Transportation-Philippine Coast Guard (DOTr-PCG) and other agencies.”
“In March of the previous year, some P2.0 billion was directly paid by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in connection with the DOTr-PCG’s Maritime Safety and Capability Improvement Project. However, for this year, payments are expected in the latter quarters depending on the schedule of delivery of goods or services,” ayon pa sa DBM.
Gayunman, ang infrastructure spending ay nakapag-ambag din sa overall spending performance ng national government para sa first quarter.
Ang government disbursements para sa unang tatlong buwan ng taon ay umabot sa P778.0 billion, mas mataas ng 0.8 percent o P6 billion sa level mula sa comparable months noong 2018. BERNADETTE D. NICOLAS
Comments are closed.