Senator Francis Escudero. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Senate committee on finance is ready to start deliberations of the proposed P2.26 trillion national budget for 2014 on the third week of August, its chairman said on Thursday.
Senator Francis”Chiz” Escudero said the committee that he chairs is tentatively set to start its budget deliberations on August 19, and he hopes to wrap up before Congress goes on recess in September.
When sessions resume in October, Escudero expects that the House of Representatives will be done with its own deliberations of the national budget.
And by December, he said, the Senate should have approved the appropriations on the floor and transmit it to the bicameral conference committee .
Escudero said he expects Congress to submit the 2014 national budget for President Benigno Aquino III’s signature before the end of the year.