Council tackles 2nd additional budget

WHILE deliberating on the executive department’s proposed P276-million second supplemental budget (SB2) for this year, some Cebu City councilors raised the need to use part of the funding for the SB2 to finance other projects.

Fund sources identified for SB2 include business taxes worth P79 million, which include P36 million from the P50-million advance payment of the SM Prime Holdings Inc. for the lot it purchased at the South Road Properties.

It also includes the P12.7-million and P8.7-million difference in the City’s Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share from 2000-2001 and 2001-2004, respectively.

The City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) also identified funding sources in savings from the Division of the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) amounting to P34 million; P40 million from the City Markets; P35 million from the City Abattoir; and P10.4 million in excess subsidy from the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) from April 2007 to December 2011.

But Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. wants the P34-million savings from DWUP to be used in developing the socialized housing and relocation sites of the city.

Relocation

Acting Mayor Joy Augustus Young, who was present during the budget hearing, shared Pe’s sentiments.

He said the 32 families that were displaced during a demolition in sitios Mabuhay, Lubi and Nangka in Barangay Luz cannot transfer to the relocation sites in Barangays Tisa, Basak Pardo, Inayawan and Bulacao provided by DWUP because these lacked basic utilities.

Pe said the the P40-million savings from the markets can be used to complete the construction of the Carbon Market Unit II, which was razed by fire in 1998.

The City set aside P170 million out of the P270 million needed for the project.

“We can use the money to augment whatever is lacking,” he said.

Asked by Pe if the sources of funds for the SB2 are considered “new money” for the City, Acting City Treasurer Emma Villarete said it is.

2012 budget

She said the funds are on top of the income that is expected to be generated by the City for this year.

Councilor Margarita Osmeña asked if it is possible to use the funds for the 2012 annual budget.

The CTO’s records reveal that it has only collected P3.5 billion as of October this year, which is P1.7 billion short of the P5.2-billion budget for 2012.

But Villarete said the fund sources identified for SB2 were not among the revenue sources of the 2012 budget.

The proposed SB2 includes the P50-million appropriation for the P2,000 additional financial assistance for senior citizens, P6 million for the City’s burial assistance program and P5.3 million for the salary of 360 barangay environment officers.

The SB2 also provides P30 million for gasoline, oil and lubricant expenses; P3.4 million for water expenses; and P71 million for electricity consumption.

The City Council opted to deliberate further on the proposed supplemental budget.