Marathon hearings for P3.546-B budget set

THE Provincial Board is set to hold a series of hearings on the proposed P3.546-billion budget for 2018 on November 20 to 23.

Second District Board Member Salvador Escalante Jr., chairman of committee on appropriations, budget, finance, ways and means, in his invitation to the department heads to attend the budget deliberations, said committees on finance, health, tourism, social welfare, education, women and children will lead the hearing on November 20.

On November 21, the budget hearings will be held for the departments under the committees on finance, trade and industry, laws, health and human resource while the final hearing on November 23 will be for the committees on trade and industry, agriculture, livelihood, trade and industry.

Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. has submitted a budget proposal of P3.546 billion for next year, which is 12.45 percent higher compared to this year’s budget.

The Provincial Government’s income will be sourced from its projected Internal Revenue Allotment share of P3 billion, and local income of P152 million, which are under the General Fund while the P308 million is expected to come from the Hospital Operations Department (HOD), and the P55 million from the Economic Enterprise.

Negros Occidental in 2018 will have an Internal Revenue Allotment of P3 billion which is 7.07 percent higher than this year's IRA amounting to P2.830 billion.

Of the proposed budget, P2.024 billion will be allocated to the General Fund, P1.456 billion to the HOD, and P66.286 million to the Economic Enterprise.