NATIONAL GOVERNMENT agencies’ cash utilization fell to 65% in April, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.
The utilization rate measures funds usage relative to the disbursement authority issued at the start of the second quarter. A year earlier, the utilization rate was 67.6%.
The Notice of Cash Allocation (NCA) is a quarterly disbursement authority issued by the DBM to government agencies, allowing them to withdraw funds from the Bureau of the Treasury to pay for contracted projects.
A total of P222.14 billion was spent by government offices in April out of the P647.83 billion the DBM authorized them to disburse, leaving a balance of P425.68 billion.
Although NCA utilization was higher a year earlier, the absolute amounts were much smaller at P143.67 billion out of P212.55 billion released, with P68.87 billion left unutilized.
Agencies have until the end of the second quarter before their NCAs lapse.
The Department of Tourism had the highest utilization rate in April at 74%, followed by the Office of the President at 73%.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology was third at 72%, followed by the 71% of the Department of Finance.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development, meanwhile, was at the bottom of the table at 41%, followed by the Department of Agriculture’s 42%.
Some 88% of NCAs released for Government Owned and Controlled Corporations was used, while the rate was 74% for local government NCAs.
The government has a P3.767-trillion budget this year, and 84% or P3.165 trillion has been released as of the first quarter, leaving a balance of P601.67 billion. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan
