TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines- Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, in a statement, called the delay of approving the province’s 2017 budget “unjustifiable.”
“I believe that the delay in the passage of the 2017 Budget of the Province is unjustifiable because so much time was wasted with bickering instead of implementing new projects, programs and activities of this administration,” he said on Monday, December 4 .
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan finally approved the 2017 Executive Budget and Annual Investment Plan in a special session on Friday, December 1.
Mamba vetoed some of SP’s suggested insertions, provisions, and budget cuts which were “prejudicial to the public welfare,” adding that these are “subject to review.”
Cagayan Information Officer Rogie Sending said the governor is preparing the list of vetoed items for submission to the SP.
He noted, however, that the provincial board may also revoke Mamba’s veto.
Yet, the governor stated that the passage of the 2017 budget is a “welcome development.”
Mamba added that the executive department is “prepared to work and implement all the lined up projects, programs and activities well into the coming year.”
Also on Monday, the governor certified as “urgent” the province’s 2017 supplemental budget to the SP.
Mamba said the SP could have enacted the executive and supplemental budgets “much earlier as neither bear any of the infirmities” raised by the board.
The supplemental budget only covers three items:
- The 2016 KALSADA Program counterpart in the amount of P43,270,041.00;
- Provincial Health Services Augmentation of Manpower in the amount of P10,000,000.00; and
- PS and MOOE under the Provincial Budget Office for the terminal/retirement/loyalty pay of employees amounting P9,546,000.00.
Vice-Governor Melvin Vargas Jr earlier stated that the board will tackle the supplemental budget and 2018 budget in order to focus on their priority programs for 2018. Northernforum.net
