House OK participation of CSOs in budget deliberations
IN a bid to make the budgeting process more transparent, inclusive and accountable, the House of Representatives has passed on third and final reading a bill that institutionalizes people’s participation in the deliberations of the annual budget in Congress and in other government offices.
With 200 voting in its favor, 6 against and 0 abstention, the House approved on third reading House Bill (HB) No. 7407 or An Act Institutionalizing The Participation of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Preparation and Authorization Process of the Annual National Budget, Providing Effective Mechanisms Therefor, and for Other Purposes.
Bill author San Jose del Monte Rep. Florida “Rida” P. Robes expressed elation over the approval of her bill saying it will play a crucial role in the budget deliberations of the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) in Congress as well as the budget preparation of other government offices with respect to giving people opportunity to influence government officials as to how the budget should be spent and to whom should it be given to.
“I am hopeful that the counterpart bill in Senate will get passed soon because it is the aim of the present administration to ensure transparency and accountability in the crafting of the annual budget. This will provide a mechanism to make sure that people’s organizations participate in the process and give them a voice on how public funds should be spent. This is a giant step towards ensuring that the budget we pass in Congress is not only transparent, accountable but also inclusive and responsive to the needs of the people,” she said.
It was the House committee on people’s participation chaired by Robes which deliberated and approved the bill before its referral to the plenary.
Under the bill, civil society organizations that wish to participate in the budget preparation and deliberations will be given a chance to be accredited to take part in the process.
Once accredited, they will be given a right to participate in the budget preparation of government agencies, including constitutional bodies and government-owned and controlled corporations, similar to the rights accorded to NGOs in local development councils.
They shall also be entitled to notices of hearings and receive budget documents as well submit their own alternative budget proposals or position papers. They shall also have the right to observe the budget deliberations including the bicameral conference committee meetings.
They shall also be allowed to participate as resource persons during budget deliberations in Congress. Any government officer who restrains any CSO from participating in the process will be penalized with a suspension ranging from one month to six months or a fine of P30,000 to P100,000 or both.
