Cebu City’s New Proposed PHP9.8-B 2016 Budget Hits Snag For Council’s Quorum Lack

The Cebu City Council failed to start the deliberation on the city’s new proposed 2016 PHP9.8-billion annual budget Monday for lack of quorum.

Out of 17 council members, only five councilors arrived at the session hall for the budget hearing, which was scheduled at 2 p.m. Monday.

The council needs nine members to muster a quorum since it was converted into a committee as a whole for the deliberation of the revised annual budget.

The executive department submitted a revised annual budget to the Cebu City Council after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) 7 declaring the approved 2016 PHP6.4-billion annual budget as inoperative.

The DBM 7 said the approved 2016 budget failed to allocate more than PHP346 million amortization for the South Road Properties (SRP) due this year.

The new proposed budget still did not include the amortization but the entire loan balance for the SRP which now stands at PHP2.8 billion.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama since last year wanted to pay in full the balance of the SRP loan make the city debt-free.

The city is operating on a reenacted budget until the council approves the revised annual budget. (PNA) LAP/EB/SSC