Budget hearing schedule, nirebisa ng Kamara

NIREBISA ng Kamara ang takda nitong mga pagdinig kaugnay sa panukalang 2027 national budget matapos ang pagkakaantala nito dala na rin sa masamang panahon habang kinukumpleto nito ang budget deliberations sa loob ng itinakdang oras.

Ayon kay House Committee on Appropriations Chair Rep. Mika Suansing, sa ilalim ng revised schedule, ang budget briefings ay gagawin sa Lunes , Agosto 24 para sa mga tanggapan ng Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Justice, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, at Department of Science and Technology.

“We have adjusted our schedule to make up for the hearings that could not proceed because of the inclement weather. We have a responsibility to thoroughly scrutinize the proposed national budget, but we also have a timetable to meet. We intend to do both,” ani Suansing.

Pinagsama-sama rin sa revised calendar ang ilan pang agency briefings upang matapos sa committee-level budget hearings hanggang September 8 ang mga ito.

Kabilang sa mga departamento at ahensiya na nakatakda sa susunod na linggo ay ang Department of National Defense, Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, at Commission on Audit sa Agosto 25; Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, at Department of Migrant workers sa Agosto 26; at ang Office of the President, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Commission on Higher Education, at Presidential Communications Office sa Agosto 27.

Ipagpapatuloy pa ang mga pagdinig hanggang Setyembre kung saan nakatakdang isalang ang Departments of Agriculture, Health, Energy, Transportation, Education, Social Welfare and Development, at Labor and Employment, maging ang Office of the Vice President, Judiciary at iba pang opisina.

Sinabi pa ng mambabatas na “we know there may be other circumstances beyond our control that could affect the schedule. We are factoring those possibilities into our planning now so that, even if adjustments become necessary, we can still meet our target for completing the budget process.”

Iginiit naman ng Appropriations Chairman na hindi naman nila isasakripisyo ang masusing pagsusuri sa budget para lamang makahabol sa schedule.

“What we are doing is managing our time better and making the necessary adjustments early so that every agency can still be properly scrutinized and every peso in the proposed budget can be properly accounted for,” paliwanang ni Suansing.

(VINA de GUZMAN)