Agencies with low budget utilization rates identified
As the Senate of the Philippines begins the plenary debates on House
Bill No. 8980 or the FY 2024 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) on November 8,
2023, Committee on Finance Chairperson Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara
highlighted that the national government, especially agencies with the lowest
budget utilization rates, are currently taking concrete steps in improving
their spending efficiency following the directive of the Department of Budget
and Management (DBM).
Strengthening
absorptive capacities
Senator Angara reported that the Department of Information and
Communications Technology (DICT) will be implementing administrative
interventions to improve its absorptive capacity and procurement process.
Meanwhile, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) committed to
strengthening its Migrant Workers Office; enhancing the full-cycle
reintegration program for OFWs; and facilitating the immediate hiring of newly
created positions for OFW hospitals.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also committed
to improving the implementation of its major social protection programs by
fast-tracking the validation process for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino
Program (4Ps) and the social preparation process for the Supplementary Feeding
Program (SFP), among others.
The Department of Energy (DOE) will organize nationwide Information and
Education Campaigns (IECs) on the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) and conduct
Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) on energy projects of national significance.
DBM takes measures
to improve spending
The DBM, led by Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, will also complement
the agencies’ efforts by strictly directing the conduct of Early Procurement
Activities (EPA), providing capacity-building activities on procurement,
encouraging agencies to utilize safe and efficient digital payments, and
digitalizing Public Financial Management (PFM) processes through the
implementation of the Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS), among
others.
According to Senator Angara, the implementation of the BTMS which shall
serve as a central database for all government financial transactions, will
help strengthen and enhance the DBM’s quarterly monitoring mechanism by
enabling real-time monitoring of transactions.
The Senate aims to approve the FY 2024 GAB on final reading by November 27, to be followed by a bicameral conference meeting to reconcile the differing versions of both chambers of Congress. (DBM/PIA-Caraga)
