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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Bicam on 2020 national budget moved to Tuesday

Bicam on 2020 national budget moved to Tuesday

Published Dec 8, 2019 12:00 am
By Hannah Torregoza  Members of the bicameral conference committee will meet again on Tuesday to thresh out the differences in the separate versions of the Senate and House of Representatives on the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget. angara123 Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (Senator Sonny Angara Official Facebook Page / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara confirmed this on Sunday as he clarified the need to move the scheduled bicameral meeting originally set for Monday, to Tuesday, December 10. The bicameral conference meeting will be held again at the Manila Polo Club at 8:30 a.m. Angara assured that the discussions are moving smoothly and is expecting that next year's budget will be approved this week. "Moving naman yung discussions but senators asked for a one day period to review the reconciled bicam version of the budget. So, to give that, we will likely meet Tuesday for approval," said Angara, who chairs the Senate finance committee. So far, Angara said lawmakers have agreed to some of Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson's proposals. Lacson's proposed institutional amendments include additional funding for landmark programs of the administration, such as the national ID program, the Univeral Health Program and the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education or the free college law. Lacson has also sought to deduct funding from programs of agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) due to their underutilization of funds, and realign them to more worthwhile projects. "We are approximately 90-95 percent reconciled with the House," Angara said. "And yes, Sen Lacson's proposals like placing some limits on administrative costs and having the possibility of greater local projects have also been adopted in some form in the budget general and special provisions," Angara said. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he was eyeing ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed 2020 national budget anytime this week. According to Sotto, they might even approve the report on the proposed 2020 national budget on Tuesday afternoon, or after the bicam. "(Possibly) same day (Tuesday) or Wednesday, if (there are) no hitches," Sotto said. The Senate leader earlier expressed confidence there would be no repeat of the impasse between the Senate and the House of Representatives over the more than P95-billion worth of post-ratification insertions of House lawmakers in this year's 2019 national budget. At the same time, Sotto had also assured that the Senate will stand by its proposed amendments in the 2020 General Appropriations Bill (GAB). This include senators' suggestion to slash by P195-million the Department of Health’s (DOH) allocation for realignment to the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) for its purchase of new drug testing equipment; the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and other government agencies that need additional funding.
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