Only P133.3 billion of the P3.767-trillion 2018 national budget was left for release in December, as the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had already given out to concerned agencies P3.63 trillion or 96.5 percent of this year’s appropriation as of November.
The pace of budget releases in the first 11 months was faster than the 94.7 percent of the P3.35-trillion 2017 budget released at end-November last year.
For funds under the 2018 General Appropriations Act or Republic Act (RA) No. 10964, the 11-month allotment releases hit P2.65 trillion or 95 percent of the P2.786-trillion program.
Comprehensive releases to government departments during the period hit P2.24 trillion or 97.6 percent of the programmed P2.3 trillion.
As for special purpose funds, P410.4 billion or 83 percent of the P491.5 billion allotted for 2018 had been released.
Automatic appropriations—programmed over a period prescribed by law through outstanding legislation requiring periodic action by Congress—worth P966.7 billion or 98.6 percent of the P980.8-billion program for this year were released in the first 11 months.
These automatic appropriations included retirement and life insurance premium, internal revenue allotment (IRA) for local government units (LGUs), 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.
As such, 96 percent or P3.614 trillion of the original program was released as of end-November.
Also released was P3.05 billion from continuing appropriations for departments, P12.33 billion in unprogrammed appropriations, and P3.9 billion in other automatic appropriations.
Unprogrammed appropriations cover the following: P3.5 billion in support of foreign-assisted projects; P8 billion in support of infrastructure projects and social programs, and P800 million in general fund adjustments, the DBM said.—BEN O. DE VERA