Official: We should get our acts together on Sida budget cut

"WE SHOULD get our acts together."

This was stressed by Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson following the cut of P1.5 billion by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on the annual P2 billion fund of the Sugarcane Industry Development Act for next year.

Senator Cynthia Villar earlier said that DBM only allocated P500 million for Sida fund in 2019 because of the underutilized fund.

Lacson said that such budget cut will definitely have an effect on the industry.

He said this is part of the DBM’s reforms that once a department is given a certain budget, it should fully utilize it as proof of how efficient it can spend the budget.

"If you have the P2 billion budget, you have to spend it because part of the unspent budget will go to other agencies," Lacson pointed out.

Lacson cited the same situation that happened to the province.

“Because only about 40 percent of the budget this year was utilized, it failed to get the Seal of Good Governance Award,” Lacson said.

“Many local government units and agencies were surprised by this new policy of the DBM and that the Provincial Government is addressing the situation by thoroughly studying strategies to meet the policy,” Lacson added.

Trending

No stories found.

Just in

No stories found.

Branded Content

No stories found.
SunStar Publishing Inc.
www.sunstar.com.ph