Lacson bats for lean nat’l budget for post-COVID recovery
SENATOR and Partido Reporma presidential bet Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson maintains that a fat-free national budget will be crucial in helping the country recover from the effects of the pandemic and prepare the country for economic take-off.
On this note, Lacson yesterday voiced his support for the National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) fiscal consolidation plan for the next President.
Lacson cited that for the past 10 years, a yearly average of P328B unused appropriations. He also estimated P700B in misused appropriations in the national budget each year.
Lacson blamed the lack of proper planning that led to an average of P328 billion in appropriations in the budget going unused every year from 2010 to 2020 – and corruption that led to the loss of some P700 billion a year, quoting a statement from former Deputy Ombudsman Cyril Ramos.
The NEDA is now crafting the plan to repay the country’s ballooning debt and narrow the budget deficit caused by the pandemic. Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon was quoted in reports as saying the plan will include proposed cuts on non-priority budget items.
Sen. Lacson has consistently flagged questionable appropriations and pushing to have them deleted from the budget measure.
The senator described the national budget as the lifeblood of the nation and reforms towards greater fiscal discipline such as a zero-based budgeting system are needed for economic takeoff. Camille Balagtas-Sarmiento
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