New scheme in 2014 budget a boon or a bane?

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

A new feature of the proposed P2.268-trillion 2014 national budget is viewed with concern as it will allow agencies to proceed with implementation of their projects on the first day of the year sans submission of agency budget matrices (ABMs) and request for release of special allotment release orders (SAROs).

The government’s rationale on the matter is that bureaucratic red tape that turns away business sector will be lessened with the scheme.

One of the innovations introduced by the executive branch to the budget is the budget-as-a-release document. This means budgets of agencies are considered released to them as soon as the national budget is enacted.

SAROs and ABMs are documents that authorize agencies to enter into an obligation or commitment.

An email from the office of Senate president Franklin M. Drilon to the Northern Philippine Times said on the first day of the year, the approved national budget will be enough to authorize allgovernment agencies to obligate their budget without needing to submit budget matrices, which takes considerable time of about two months before agencies could actually submit them.

Drilon, who, in the last Congress, chaired the Senate finance committee that hears the budget said“one or two months being spent by agencies in preparing these documentary requirements could have been spent in the actual implementation of important programs such as the building of classrooms, health centers, or provision of medicines to our elderly.

           

“The new system, once in place, can help cut red tape and ease and speed-up the processes securing a really early delivery of much-needed programs and services.”

Drilon noted however, that there will still be minimal items in the budget that will need clearance from proper authorities which may include, among others, intelligence and lump-sum funds.

“Whenever we would ask agencies to explain why there are delays in the implementation of their programs, they would pass the blame to budget department, making it their scapegoat. The DBM did not release us funds. The SARO is released late,"

Drilon warned agencies: "you will have no one to blame but yourselves if you still fail to implement your programs and deliver services to our people in a timely manner come 2014."

He also encouraged agencies to proceed with the bidding process, short of award, while the budget is still being deliberated, so that once it is approved, they can already obligate their budgets.