Confusion on road fund's use mars RDC meeting

Confusion among local government officials arose during the Regional Development Council meeting yesterday over the availability of funds from the Motor Vehicle Users' Charge, or "road users' tax," that could be used for local government projects.

Some of the local government officials complained that they did not receive so far any allotment from the fund while others said they did not even know there was such a fund.

The Road Board allocates this MVUC fund through the Department of Public Works and Highways' special road support fund or SPRF, which a local government may use for a certain project, said Cebu City, north district Rep. Raul del Mar.

But some local officials only came to know lately of such fund. Del Mar said similar complaints also arose in Congress before.

RDC's development administration committee chairman Valeriano Avila reported the figures and details of the MVUC fund. He also proposed to decentralize the Board and regionalize the fund distribution to this fund clear to the LGUs.

Governor Gwen Garcia said she supported Avila's proposal to address the problem in MVUC fund management, the limited representation of the LGUs in the Board, and how funds are distributed to the LGUs.

Del Mar said the Board is now studying the method of equitable allocation of the fund to the LGUs. But he urged local government officials to submit their project proposals to the Board for them to avail of the fund once restored for distribution. - Wenna A. Berondo