Thursday, September 11, 2008 Council approves P115.3M SB2 By Linette C. Ramos Sun.Star Staff Reporter
WITHOUT cuts and revisions, the Cebu City Council approved yesterday the ordinance supporting the P115.3-million second supplemental budget, which includes additional allocation for fuel supply.
The supplemental budget (SB) 2 will be funded by the proceeds of the City’s loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) amounting to P61.5 million and the unappropriated balance from the 2008 general fund.
During the regular session yesterday, the council also approved the resolution authorizing the loan with LBP, which will be paid using the City’s internal revenue allotment (IRA) share differential for 2001 and 2004.
The SB 2 will cover the P30 million needed to augment the gasoline expense for the City’s fleet of vehicles.
The supplemental budget of P115,339,715 is an addition to the P2.52 billion 2008 general fund and the first supplemental budget amounting to P345.27 million, which was approved last May.
Allocation
In his committee report on the proposed SB 2, Councilor Jose Daluz III said the allocation for gasoline in this year’s budget was used up as early as August because of the increase in fuel prices.
When the budget for fuel supply for the whole year was set, the price of gasoline was only P38 per liter. Current prices are now at P55 per liter.
Other items included in the SB 2 are the P10 million allocation for the asphalting of the city’s streets and the P5 million customs duties for the 20 Kaohsiung buses that will be transported from Taiwan to Cebu.
The P6 million needed for materials and supplies for the sanitizing of the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill and the additional P2 million traveling expenses of city officials were also included in the SB 2.
“The committee finds the proposed expenditures necessary and urgent for the efficient delivery of services and continued regular operations of the City Government, and hereby endorses the measure for final approval without amendments,” read the report of the committee on budget and finance, headed by Daluz.
The SB 2 also includes the P2.4-million counterpart fund for the United Nations Children’s Fund programs, P1.4 million for the validation of the voters’ list by the Commission on Elections Cebu City and some P5.2 million for personal services, terminal leave pay and maintenance and other operating expenditures of the different departments.
Under the account of the Office of the Mayor, some P21 million was listed for furniture and equipment outlay and motor vehicles outlay for the different departments and offices at City Hall.
