THE executive department of the Cebu City Government has proposed an P8.1-billion annual budget for 2019.
The biggest chunk, or around P3.2 billion, will go to the mandatory expenses.
These include P2.1 billion for personal services, or payment of salaries and other mandatory benefits to city employees; P448.9 million for debt servicing; P401.3 million for the local development fund; P346 million for the disaster fund; P19 million for the protection of children; P10 million for the confidential fund; and P8.5 million for the discretionary fund.
For this year, the City has an approved P6.2-billion annual budget, excluding the three supplemental budgets (SB), amounting to around P300 million. The fourth SB, amounting to P84 million, is pending.
City Budget Officer Marrietta Gumia said apart from the increase in the number of people who will qualify to receive financial assistance from the City, the effects of the Train Law also caused next year's proposed budget to go up.
“The budget allocation under the Department of General Services like the purchase of fuel really increased because the Train Law really affected it,” she said.
For next year, the City set aside P455.1 million for the senior citizens' financial assistance program; P400 million for the financial assistance to barangay projects; P213.8 million for the Long Life program, or the distribution of free maintenance medicines to indigents; P186 million for the City Hospitalization and Medicine Program; P158.3 million for the scholarship program; P80 million for the financial assistance of the Sangguniang Kabataan; P81 million for persons with disabilities; P76.8 million for tanods; P65 million for peace and order personnel; and P65 million for the teachers' assistance program.
Gumia said the mayor also introduced new special projects like bus operation services.
The City allocated P306.2 million for this purpose. The amount includes the P232 million allocated for the purchase of 40 buses.
The executive department also allocated P26.4 million for fuel and oil for these buses and P6.6 million for the drivers.
The City also set aside P20 million for the renovation of the City Condominium, which had been declared as unsafe, P10 million for its operation and P11.2 million for the meal allowance of the students from mountain barangays.
The Local Finance Committee identified six sources of fund for the 2019 annual budget: P2.5 billion from local taxes, P1.9 billion from the internal revenue allotment, P1.3 billion from non-tax revenue, P1 billion from real property tax, P1-billion share from the joint venture and P250-million share from the ecozone.
The City Council is expected to deliberate on the budget next week. (RVC)