THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday said it has yet to scrap any projects under the 2020 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to generate more funds for the government’s novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) measures.
Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado issued the statement after admitting they made use of the “unreleased appropriations” for some of the said projects, when they released P353.8 billion to concerned agencies to finance their Covid-related programs.
However, he stressed the said affected projects could still resume if they will be able to source new funding this year, or next year.
“So, this means, it is like we borrowed the budget [for the affected projects],” Avisado said during an online news briefing on Thursday.
“If there will be some [budget] which will remain, we will coordinate with the departments to determine, which of their priority, or most needed projects, it will be used,” he added.
Programs, which will lack funding for this year, Avisado said, can be classified under multiyear of contractual authority to be given by DBM.
This way, he explained, the said program will not be canceled and will be allowed to continue next year.
Released funds
During his presentation on Thursday, Avisado said the bulk, or P246.5 billion, of the P353.8-billion budget DBM released for Covid measures were pooled savings.
The P96.7 billion of the budget came from the unprogrammed appropriation and P10.6 billion from reprogramming of beneficiaries and purpose of existing PAPs (Program, Activities and Projects).
The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Social Amelioration Program (SAP) got the most of the released funds at P200 billion.
It was followed by the Department of Finance (DOF) with P88 billion and the Department of Health (DOH) with P48.1 billion.
Avisado noted only the concerned agencies will be able to determine how much of the released funds were disbursed.
Because of the protracted impact of Covid-19 to the country’s economy, DBM and other members of the government’s economic cluster is considering requesting for a supplemental budget from Congress for the said purpose.
Avisado, however, reiterated until they could get new source of revenues/taxes or have an excess collection of revenue, he said their request will have no “basis.”