|
Monday, October 27, 2003
City will need P361M to fund 418 projects in '04
THE Baguio City Government will need around P361,588,594 to fund some 418 programs and projects identified for implementation next year.
Mayor Bernardo Vergara, in the proposed 2004 annual investment plan submitted to the City Council for approval, said the "development programs and projects" are classified into three categories, including 24 high-impact projects worth P78.4 million; 375 barangay or community-based projects amounting to P50.6 million and 19 other development projects with a total requirement of P232 million, excluding the cost of projects proposed for build-operate-transfer (BOT) and other financing schemes.
"The high impact projects (will) address our major concerns on environmental protection, tourism development, traffic and transport management, more access and facilities for our public school sector and the development and implementation of income-generating projects in order to increase resources of the city," he explained.
"Our barangay-based projects, on the other hand, will continue to provide more access and mobility as contingent to enhance further the efficient delivery of essential socio-economic services, particularly in the areas of health, environmental safety and sanitation, public safety and protection as well as peace and order," he added.
Vergara said the proposed investment plan "translates over the short term our continuing efforts to respond appropriately to the needs of our constituency."
City Planning and Development Officer Arturo Orig also said "the high impact projects programmed for the year (2004) include tourism and resource-generating economic ventures of the city addressing the twin concerns of sustaining our role as a tourism center and an evolving self-reliant local government unit."
Together with the proposed plan, Vergara has also asked the council to approve next year's proposed executive budget of P710,238,000. The body, in last week's regular session, approved the proposal on first reading and agreed to begin deliberation on the financial plan on Nov. 10.
The proposal, which is 18.2 percent higher than this year's budget of P601 million, will come from the beginning balance of P73 million; tax and non-tax revenue of P401 million and Internal Revenue Allotment share of P236.2 million.
"With the limited resources and savings, we have managed to address priority concerns in our development plans," he told the council in his letter, saying "it is noteworthy to mention that our administration has done its best in terms of revenue generation to fund various projects, from a budget of P502 million in 2001 to an estimated P710 million for 2004, or an increase of 40 percent over the three-year period that covers our term," said Vergara. Cheryl G. Cruz with a report from Aileen Refuerzo
(October 27, 2003 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[ return
to top ]
[ home
]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
