MANILA, Philippines - The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is seeking a budget of P7.054 billion next year or 8.82 percent higher than the present budget of P6.4 billion.
Its line agency, the Public Private Partnership Center (PPPC) is seeking an over two thousand percent increase from its present budget of P91.5 million to a proposed P2.1 billion next year.
In contrast, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will receive 32.19 percent lower budget, or from a little over P5 billion in 2015 to P3.4 billion next year.
At the Senate budget hearing yesterday, Economic Planning Secretary and NEDA director general Arsenio M. Balisacan said the bulk of the increase in the PPPC 2016 budget is due to the P2-billion fund for the Project Development and Monitoring Facility (PDMF) to provide funding to the increasing demand for technical assistance for development of PPP projects.
The proposed budget for MOOE is P2.056 billion, or 4,943.04 percent higher than this year’s approved budget of P40.767 million.
“The increase in MOOE is attributed to the following: a) augmentation of PDMF revolving fund; b) provision of whole year requirement for operating lease of office building; and c) provision for foreign travel for road shows and promotion of PPP program and projects,” Balisacan said.
The reverse is true for the PSA 2016 budget, which dropped 32.19 percent.
The reason was the reduced budget of the Census of Population, bulk of which was released in 2015. Only the requirements for manual and machine processing, development of specifications and dissemination were provided in 2016.
Other NEDA line agency proposed 2016 budget are: the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), P73.67 million; the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency (PNVSCA), P22.6 million; the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute (PSRTI), P22.147 million; the Tariff Commission, P61.68 million.
Meanwhile, Balisacan outlined the achievements NEDA and its agencies recorded, including:
• 714 of 727 or 98.21 percent of requested policy recommendations on socioeconomic and development matters were prepared or reviewed and submitted within the prescribed timeframe;
• 29 economic reports were prepared;
• 100 percent of meeting documents were released during the prescribed timeframe;
• 15 annual investment programs were prepared/updated;
• 100 percent of 23 appraised projects were presented and approved by the Joint ICC-TB and ICC-CC;
• Feasibility studies for seven projects were financed under the F/S Fund amounting to P258 million;
• An overseas development agency (ODA) portfolio review report was prepared and submitted;
• 2015 regional development reports were endorsed by the NEDA Secretariat.
The PPPC report shows that 14 projects were screened or reviewed. Three PPP projects were approved by the NEDA Board and rolled out, and seven projects were approved for PDMF support.