Sotto expects transmittal of 2019 budget next week
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2019 03:59:25 +0000
SENATE President Vicente Sotto 3rd on Friday said that he expects the enrolled 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) that was ratified by the bicameral conference committee to be transmitted next week for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature.
“Hopefully, by next week. It’s easy. LBMRO [Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office] has the copy of what should be transmitted. We have the copy. The House Committee on Appropriations also has the copy of what was agreed upon and ratified,” Sotto said.
Sotto said the House should submit the measure that was ratified by the bicameral conference committee for the smooth transmission to President Duterte for signature.
“Leave it as it is, for what we ratified and what we agreed upon that it remain in the budget for the Public Works and Highways, which is already itemized originally in that state… If this happens, there’s no more problem with the rest of the budget,” the Senate chief added.
He said he will immediately sign it and have it transmitted to the Palace on the same day so that the President could also sign it at the soonest possible time.
On Wednesday evening, the House retrieved its version of the GAB that the Senate leadership had refused to sign and transmit it to Malacañang for the President’s signature.
Senate and House leaders have agreed to meet on Monday, March 25, in a renewed bid to resolve their differences on the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
Sotto described the House retrieval of the transmitted budget measure as a move that would finally break the dragging impasse.
Sotto said he is assigning Senate finance committee chairman Loren Legarda, Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Sen. Gregorio Honasan to meet again with House leaders.
Sen. Legarda said that they have set their meeting with their House counterparts on Monday, next week.
“We hope to meet on Monday and resolve the issue once and for all so the country can move forward,” said legarda.
Pending the enactment of the 2019 General Appropriations Bill, the national government has been operating under a re-enacted 2018 budget that shall remain in force until such time that the GAB is passed into law by Congress.
Meanwhile, the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) last week cut its 2019 gross domestic product growth projection to 6-7 percent from 7-8 percent as new projects remain unfunded due to the budget deadlock.
Separately, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the economy could expand by 4.2-4.9 percent this year if the new spending plan were enacted as late as August. JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
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