Palace sees ‘on time’ passage of P3.757T budget for 2019

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. JOAN BONDOC/Philippine Daily Inquirer

Malacañang is confident that next year’s P3.757 trillion national budget would be passed on time after the budget department and lawmakers agreed to adopt a transitory cash-based system.

“Per the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), they, together with Congress, have agreed to a transitory cash-based system,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement on Thursday.

Under this system, Roque said the “government would have 12 months to obligate and 18 months to disburse its budget.”

He said DBM would “be disclosing the full details of this transitory cash-based system in due time.”

“Having said this, we expect the national budget to be passed on time and signed by the President before the end of the year,” he noted.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno had earlier said he would not allow any compromise with the House of Representatives as he staunchly defended the government’s proposed cash-based budget.