Neda Board OKs P 547.6B worth of infra projects

The government is fast-tracking the rollout of big-ticket infrastructure, including eight worth a total of P547.6 billion approved by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Board chaired by President Duterte.

The latest Department of Budget and Management (DBM) data showed that public spending on infrastructure and other capital outlays jumped 28.6 percent year-on-year to P80.9 billion in November last year, sustaining the climb in disbursements under the government’s catch-up program.

On Tuesday, the Neda Board green-lighted the projects earlier approved by the Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee, as follows: the P175.7-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge, P57.1-billion Mass Rapid Transit 4 between Quezon City and Taytay, Rizal province, and P8.5-billion Edsa Greenways, which would be financed by the Manila-based Asian Development Bank; P189.5-billion Panay-Guimaras-Negros Island-Bridges, P76.4-billion fourth Cebu-Mactan Bridge and Coastal Road, P28.3-billion Davao City Coastal Bypass Road and Bucana Bridge, P6.3-billion Maritime Safety Enhancement Project and P5.9-billion Capas-Botolan Road.The Neda Board also increased the project cost of Davao City Bypass to P46.8 billion from P25.9 billion previously, while also raising the cost of Samar Pacific Coastal Road by almost a tenth to P1.1 billion.

“These projects are the building blocks of our people’s dreams and aspirations. As such, we intend to roll out as many as we can to ease congestion and spread growth throughout the country,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Neda chief Ernesto Pernia said in a statement on Wed­nesday.

Officials said these projects would start implementation this year.

DBM data released on Thursday showed that the national government’s disbursements on infrastructure and other capital outlays in November last year rose from P62.9 billion the previous year, although lower than October’s P82.2 billion.

In November alone, the increase in infrastructure expenditures was attributed by the DBM to “the payment for completed and partially completed infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways such as roads, bridges and flood control structures, and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) such as airports and ports.”

But total infrastructure spending from January to November last year declined by 2.6 percent to P709.4 billion from P728.1 billion during the first 11 months of 2018, no thanks to the election ban on projects ahead of the midterm elections last May as well as the delayed approval of the P3.7-trillion 2019 national budget.