Saturday, June 24, 2006
Buy Filipino products: budget office
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is reminding Filipinos to buy only Filipino or locally made products unless these products are substandard or priced significantly higher compared to their imported counterparts.
Section 22 of the general provisions contained in each year's General Appropriations Act (GAA) mandates that equipment, parts, accessories, supplies, and materials that will be used by government should be sourced domestically.
The provision, which has been a regular feature of past budgets, is reiterated in the proposed 2006 national budget and in the one that Malacañang will submit to Congress next year, said DBM Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr.
President Arroyo ordered the drafting of an executive order to make it compulsory for government agencies to purchase only locally made products.
Andaya said the President's order would strengthen the "Buy Filipino Products" provision of the GAA.
For this year, the government is programmed to buy P23-billion worth of supplies for offices, schools, hospitals, police and military use including gasoline, oil and lubricants.
Government agencies can resort to imported products when the price of the local product is more than 15 percent of that of a similar product offered by an enterprise other than a domestic entity, Secretary Andaya said citing Section 22 of the GAA.
If the quality of the locally produced materials is substandard compared with its imported counterpart, then the latter can also be considered for government purchase, Andaya said. (Press release)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (June 24, 2006 issue)
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