DAVAO CITY—The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) has adapted the national government’s annual cash-based budgeting process, saying this would ensure “implementation readiness” of its programs.
Minister Eduard Guerra of the Barmm’s Ministry of Finance and Budget and Management (MFBM) said the Bangsamoro government “recognizes the modernization of the national budget process to improve the efficiency of the processes, such as planning, procurement, cash management and payment systems.”
He said the annual cash-based budgeting system would ensure the “implementation-readiness of proposals through better procurement planning, programming of projects and activities, and coordination among ministries and offices.”
The decision was announced during the first Bangsamoro Budget Forum on Monday in the bid of the Barmm “to lay down guidelines, priorities, policies and budget preparation forms for fiscal year 2020.”
The forum was organized by the MFBM, and Guerra said the forum would like to make its budgeting process responsive “to the systems, mechanisms and strategic implementation of priority programs” established during the transition period.
“We need concrete plans of our budget proposal for the year 2020,” Guerra said.
Guerra added that said it would be the members of the Barmm parliament who would deliberate on the budget proposals “unlike in the previous regional government which had to present and defend its budget before members of the Senate and House of Representatives.”
Barmm Chief Minister Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim said the activity “is an important event not only for our offices in the government but also for the people that we are serving.”
Ebrahim was represented by Asnin Pendatun, Barmm Cabinet secretary, in the event.
The MFBM said consultations and coordination with local government units would be conducted by different ministries and offices “to guarantee the Bangsamoro priorities are responsive to the local needs.”
Guerra said the budget proposal must be anchored on the priority agenda of the Barmm administration: integration of development plans; establishment of appropriate bureaucracy; continuity of existing government services; special programs for transitioning combatants; support for the on-going Marawi rehabilitation; development of enabling policy environment; activation of job-generating industries; enhancement of security; maximizing synergistic partnerships; ensure environmental compliance; and, exploration of the Bangsamoro economic potentials.
Based on the Barmm’s budget calendar, the final submission of budget proposals would be on August 30 this year.
Ministers, planning and budget officers, and accountants of the different ministries attended the said forum.