P3.002-T Legacy Budget to Sustain Inclusive Dev’t –Abad

(PNA) — As the final budget to be submitted by the Aquino Administration, the PhP 3.002-trillion proposed 2016 budget will broaden inclusive development even as it strengthens agency spending for stronger citizen participation and consolidate the reforms implemented in the past five years, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said on Monday.

The Budget chief made this statement prior to the presentation of the proposed 2016 budget to the Development Budget Coordinating Committee (DBCC) at the House of Representatives.

“In line with President Aquino’s last budget message, this blueprint of the administration’s 2016 budget will reinforce and sustain the foundation of our country’s inclusive development. The success of our previous budgetary reforms have already helped us turn public expenditure into something that is more transparent, accountable, and participatory. With the budget increase for the coming year, we’re concentrating on widening the reach of the people’s budget to address more of the public needs,” Abad said.

“Through reform measures that we’ve adopted in previous budgets, as well as new ones for this budget, we’re helping agencies make optimal use of their allocations. Later on, we plan to legislate these measures with the help of Congress so that they become the cornerstone of public expenditure of succeeding administrations,” Abad added.

Some of the budgetary reforms implemented in the past years include the General Appropriations Act-as-Release-Document (GAARD) regime, the Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB), the Performance-Informed Budgeting (PIB), and the installation of the Unified Accounts Code Structure (UACS).

New reforms in the 2016 budget include the transformation of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as the lead construction agency of the government, the further reduction of Special Purpose Funds (SPFs) in magnitude, allowing performance-based downloading of funds to local governments, the Two-Tier Budgeting, and the Program Expenditure Classification (PREXC).

Due in part to the National Government being able to avail of more resources thanks to these reform measures, next year’s proposed budget is higher than this year’s budget. This budget is 15.2 percent more than the PhP 2.606-trillion 2015 enacted budget, and double the administration’s PhP 1.541-trillion budget in 2010.

To secure the goals of sustained inclusive development, the 2016 budget will support the following government programs, among others: good governance and anti-corruption measures to create a better environment to attract investments and quality jobs; making growth inclusive by raising the quality of Filipino workers; and creating more and better jobs and livelihood to sustain the growth momentum.

It also includes: managing disaster risks in order to prevent the loss of lives, properties, and livelihood; and establishing an enabling environment of just and lasting peace via the promotion and implementation of peace agreements, as well as the modernization of the military and the police.

“Following the 2016 Budget Priorities Framework, this proposed budget will help us attend to the needs of 44 of our poorest and most climate-vulnerable provinces. We believe a budget that is responsive to the needs of our people is a budget that truly empowers,” Abad said. (PNA) SCS/PR/EBP