THE OFFICE of the President’s (OP) P10.71-billion budget for 2024 was swiftly approved on Wednesday by a Senate committee in the absence of impeding questions.
“There [are] no callings,” Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said during the hearing. “That means, I think, they have a vote of confidence in your budget, so we will favorably endorse your budget for plenary consideration.”
Deputy Executive Secretary Amante A. Liberato, who appeared before the panel, said the bulk of the budget, P7.75 billion to be exact, would be used for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).
Also contained in the budget approved by the Senate panel were P1.68 billion for capital outlay; P1.28 billion for personal services; and P834.3 million for the Presidential Management Staff, the primary staffing arm and research body of the Office of the President.
Mr. Liberato noted that the MOOE would fund the President’s travel and representation expenses for next year while capital outlay would be for proposed renovations within the Malacañang complex and other buildings.
“We crafted this budget within the parameters and processes set by the DBM from which we sought no special treatment,” Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin told the same hearing.
Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee also approved the proposed budgets of P2.06 billion for the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and P605.84 million for the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), which would be used for projects that intend to stem delays in administrative processes.
During the hearing, CSC Chairman Karlo Alexei B. Nograles highlighted among next year’s programs the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Law.
Mr. Nograles said P1.43 billion would be used for personal services, P431.50 million for its MOOE, about P90 million for capital outlay, P1.95 billion for its regular management program, and P107.5 million for automatic appropriations.
“Once we receive red-tape complaints at our regional offices, we will refer it to the ARTA, which will finalize the complaint, which will be heard by the CSC,” he told the Senate panel.
“Most of the issues referred to us are about delays in the processing of permits and actions,” ARTA Director General Ernesto V. Perez told the same hearing. “If it is not red-tape related, we refer the complaint to the concerned government agencies.”
ARTA plans to drive down the cost of logistics for state agencies by eliminating pass-through fees and by setting up more one-stop shops in local government units, Mr. Perez said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
