Andaya says 2019 national budget on Duterte’s desk by December

The proposed P3.757-trillion 2019 national budget will be on President Rodrigo Duterte’s desk by December, House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. assured on Monday.

Andaya said the chamber has enough time to finish the proposed budget, as he maintained their stance against a reenacted appropriation.

“We have enough time. A new budget will land on the president’s desk next month, before the 2018 GAA (General Appropriations Act) expires. We are against a reenacted budget because it will be hard to implement, it will constrict spending, and it will give wide latitude and discretion to the executive on what projects to implement,” the Camarines Sur 1st District representative said in a statement.

The House leader also said the small committee tackling the individual amendments to the budget was on its “last mile of itemizing” and “double-checking” to ensure compliance with the law.

“We are on the last mile of itemizing, double-checking the entries in the budget, in a manner that will be 100 percent compliant with the rules of the House, with all the laws on budgeting, and the jurisprudence on matters of authorizing and spending appropriations,” Andaya said.

“Ingat kami kasi (We are careful because) legislative haste leads to budget waste,” he stressed.

The House approved on second reading the General Appropriations Bill or House Bill No. 8169 last Oct. 3.

READ: House approves proposed 2019 budget on second reading

READ: House can’t pass 2019 national budget before Congress goes on break