P4.506-T BUDGET TUTUTUKAN NG SENADO

NANGAKO si Senador Sonny Angara na ipapasa nila sa takdang oras ang panukalang P4.506 trilyong pambansang pondo para matiyak na hindi maaantala ang paghahatid ng serbisyo sa tao, partikular sa panahon ng pandemya.

Ayon kay Angara, chairman ng Senate Finance Committee, agad nilang sisimulan ang pagdinig sa oras na matanggap ang kopya ng National Expenditure Program na isusumite ng Malacañang.

“We don’t want a repeat of 2019 when government had to operate on a reenacted 2018 national budget for five months, which led to serious delays in the implementation of key programs and projects and slower GDP growth,” pahayag ng senador sa isang statement.

Paliwanag ni Angara, kung maaantala ang pag-apruba ng national budget, mapipresyur ang mga ahensiya ng gobyerno na gamitin ang available nilang pondo sa maikling panahon.

“We end up with inefficiencies in the utilization of funds and this is a disservice to the people who want to see that their taxes are being put to good use. This is especially important now that we are still grappling with a pandemic and we need to implement key programs to address its impacts,” ani Angara.

Ayon sa Department of Budget and Management, ang panukalang P4.506 trillion national budget para sa 2021 ay 9.9 porsiyentong mas mataas sa budget sa taong ito at katumbas ng 21.8 porsiyento ng gross domectic product (GDP).

Layunin ng 2021 national budget na suportahan ang hakbang ng gobyerno sa pagtugon sa COVID-019 pandemic sa pamamagitan ng pagpokus sa paggastos sa papaganda ng healthcare system, food security, pagdagdag ng public at digital infrastructure at pagtulong sa mga komunidad sa panahon ng krisis.

“The key word here is resiliency. We need to demonstrate that our economy can remain robust in spite of the severe challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic,” sabi ni Angara.

“In the proposed 2021 budget, we expect to see programs that will jumpstart economic activity while also strengthening our healthcare system so that we will be able to respond better in future crises,” dagdag pa nito.      LIZA SORIANO