The government released 94.5 percent of the 2017 national budget during the first 11 months, almost the same pace as a year ago, the latest Department of Budget and Management (DBM) data showed.
From January to November, P3.166 trillion of the P3.35 trillion budget was released, including continuing appropriations under the 2016 national budget as well as unprogrammed and other automatic appropriations.
Similarly, in 2016, 94.6 percent or P2.839 trillion of that year’s P3.002-trillion budget was released by end-November.
The rate that the government released this 2017’s budget caught up in November after months of lagging behind levels of a year ago.
For funds under the 2017 general appropriations act, allotment releases reached P2.19 trillion during the 11-month period or 90 percent of the P2.432-trillion program.
Comprehensive releases to government departments as of November amounted P1.887 trillion or 96 percent of the programmed P1.965 trillion.
As for special purpose funds, P302.2 billion or 64.7 percent of the P466.8 billion allotted for 2017 have been released.
Automatic appropriations – programmed over a period prescribed by law through outstanding legislation requiring periodic action by Congress – worth P891.4 billion or 97.1 percent of the P918-billion program for 2017 was released during the first 11 months.
These automatic appropriations included retirement and life insurance premium, internal revenue allotment for local government units, pensions of former presidents and their widows, special account in the general fund (including motor vehicle users charge fund), net lending, interest payments, as well as releases under the tax expenditures fund for customs duties and taxes to be paid for government importation.
Also released at end-November were P85.5 billion in other releases from continuing appropriations for departments and special purpose funds, unprogrammed appropriations, as well as other automatic appropriations for grants and donations, special account in the general fund military camps sales proceeds fund, and revalidation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program.
A balance of P183.6 billion must still be released before the end of 2017.
The budgets released will be obligated by agencies for specific projects. Upon award of the projects, the allotted amounts will be disbursed for payments to contractors and suppliers. /kga