P1.74 trillion in 2021 nat’l budget still unused as of June 30

Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Some P1.74 trillion of the P4.5 trillion national budget for 2021 remained unobligated or unused as of June 30.

Albay Rep. Joey Salceda disclosed this Tuesday as he sponsored debates on the general principles and provisions of the proposed 2022 national budget

“The unobligated is P1.742 [trillion]. This is as of June 30 because they do it quarterly,” he said.

Marikina City Rep. Stella Luz Quimbo said the unused amount is “worrisome” as this can be used to respond to the pandemic in a bid to revive the economy.

“I find this huge amount of unobligated funds very worrisome, considering that our economy is in a slump and government spending is clearly one way to revive the economy,” she said.

Unobligated funds are those that have already been appropriated but remain uncommitted by contract. When the national budget expires, unused funds are reverted back to the National Treasury.

In signing the 2021 national budget in December last year, President Rodrigo Duterte said that “every centavo of this budget must be spent to ensure the nation’s recovery.”

“Let me, therefore, serve as an assurance to the Filipino people—this coming year, we intend to recover as one nation,” Duterte said.

KGA