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WEDNESDAT SEPTEI'IBER 4, 2019
Budgetbitl still on
trackfor approval,
no changes made
HOUSE appropriations com-
mittee Chair and Davao City
3'ulDistrict Rep. Isidro T.
Ungab said Tuesday that no
changes have been made to
the proposed P4.l-trillion na-
tional budget following recent
procedural hurdles thrown up
against the 2O2O general ap-
propriations bill (GAB).
"So far walang changes.
Imade an explanation kung
bakit ang GAB should be re-
tained as is because it has been
a tradition, a praitice here in
the House, we usually copy in
toto, pd.rang photocopy lang
'yung GLB na ginagawa ng
appropriations committee ng
NEP (National Expenditgre
Program)," saiil Mr. Ungab in
a chance interview with re-
pofters.
The NEP is prepared bythe
Executive branch and outlines
the administration's spending
priorities. Legislators then
translate the spending plan
into abudgetbill.
Mr. Ungab said Congress
can prepare its own GAB, "but
it will tal<e a long time to pre-
pare it."
Earlier in the month, senior
House legislators intervened
to keep the budget on
2O2O
track.afber moves to withdraw
the budget bill raised the pros-
pect ofsetbacks to the approval
timetable, threatening a repeat
of the infighting over the 2O19
spending program, which was
four months delayed.
Mr. Ungab also,clarified
that the 2020 budget was not
t ,or. (t,e
actually withdrawn from the
plenary but only refened back
to the committee on rules.
"It was not really with-
drawn from the floor, nc-
change lang ang referral (the
referral just changed). Instead
of appqopriations committee,
nl-refer back (it was referred
back) to rules. So ifs possible
(that) from the rules...i think
the plan is tonight ibalik na
sa (to return it to) appropria-
tions," he said.
Mr. Ungab reiterated that
budget deliberations are exr
pected to meet the Oct. 4 final
approval timeable set for the
budg8tbill.
The last day ofbrigfings for
the 2O2O budget is Sept. 6 with
the preparation ofthe commit-
tee report set for Sept. lO.
"We expect the executive
department, Malacaflang, to
issue a certificate of urgency.
With that, it means we can pro-
ceed to third reading imme-
diately after second reading,"
Mr. Ungab said.
The 2O19 Budget was de-
layed by the issue of "inser-
tions" and the resulting dis-
putes over whigl chamber
altered thespendihg program.
The DevelopiEent Bti4get
Coordination Committiie iri:
its March 13 meeting slashed
GDP expansion targets for the
year to 6-7% fram7-8Vo origi-
nally and 2A2O b 6.5-7.5% also
from 7-8Vo, citing the impact
of the delayed enactment of
the national budget. - Vince
Angelo C. Ferreras
I lf,'l