National Government lines up infra projects worth

The National Government intends to spend P57.3 billion next year to build critical public infrastructure projects.

Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda said the amount, contained in the proposed P780.8-billion national budget for 2002, is 15 percent over the programmed public spending this year for similar projects.

Legarda said the funding for public infrastructure would be used to build, pave and rehabilitate 3,984 kilometers of roads and to construct, replace and strengthen 10,693 linear meters of bridges.

The senator said the allocation would also cover the construction of 4,360 linear meters of flyovers, interchanges and overpasses.

She said P6.3 billion have been earmarked for the construction of 1,157 flood control projects meant to mitigate flooding within priority areas covered by the Pasig River Rehabilitation Project.

In addition, she said P7 billion would be spent to implement foreign-assisted projects means to raise land, air and water transportation facilities and telecommunication capabilities to global standards.

Legarda said the increased spending would help address the huge infrastructure backlog and at the same time pump-prime the economy.

"Now more than ever, we must boost public infrastructure spending to ease massive unemployment and rev up the economy," Legarda declared.

"Large expenditures by government have become imperative to stimulate private sector investments and cushion the adverse impact of the lingering financial crunch on the economy," she pointed out.

The Congressional Planning and Budget Office had earlier pegged at P498 billion the annual spending needed for public infrastructure.

A previous study by the University of Asia and the Pacific also estimated that the country would need P1.8 trillion over the next 10 years to meet basic infrastructure investment requirements.