Rama unsure of meeting Oct. 16 deadline for budget submission

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council yesterday reminded Mayor Michael Rama not to be late in the submission of his proposed executive budget for 2012 because the law provides that the annual budget shall be submitted to the legislative bodies not later than October 16 of every year.

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña said the mayor should submit the executive budget before the deadline to give members of the City Council enough time to review it and schedule for a budget hearing with the mayor and the department heads.

But Rama said while he already ordered all the department heads under City Administrator Jose Mari Poblete to speed up the preparation of their respective budgetary requirements, he cannot assure that it will be completed before the deadline.

“We will try our best to submit it to the City Council before the scheduled deadline,” Rama said when the reporters asked him of his reaction of the city legislators’ reminder to him.

Section 318 of the Local Government Code provides that upon receipt of the statements of income and expenditures from the treasurer, the budget proposals of the heads of departments and offices and the estimates of income and budgetary ceilings from the local finance committee, the mayor shall prepare the executive budget for the ensuing fiscal year.

The members of the legislative bodies have the power to review the proposed expenditures from the chief executive and may slash the items in the proposed budget.

The city legislators had approved a P4.2-billion budget for this year’s operations, but the expected income has yet to be realized because the City has not sold any government-owned lots.

While the City Treasurer’s Office estimated some P1.1 billion revenues from the sale of lots at the South Road Properties, nobody signified intention to buy the lots during the first one year of Rama’s term as mayor.

Rama earlier said he wants the city’s annual budget for next year to be higher than this year’s budget, but even the personnel of the City Treasurer’s Office said the mayor’s vision may not be achieved.

The mayor is still hoping that the SM Prime Holdings Corporation would reconsider its plan not to pay the City of its installment payment for the purchase of the 30.4 hectares of lots at the SRP even if the City still failed to convince the BIR to waive the collection of taxes out of the lot sales to SM. — (FREEMAN)