MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday called on Congress to work on an updated “government procurement law” and “government auditing code”.
During his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos issued the order in a bid to make acquisition and auditing “in sync with the status quo” and “attuned to changing times”.
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The chief executive also stated that he is eyeing inter-agency cooperation to have quick progress in the country.
The president said that the government aims to have this plan rolled out for the next five years, adding he aims to “seek not only to become more effective, but more — to become truly transformative.”’
“This approach will be operationalized through inter-agency cooperations; as well as through coordinated efforts between and among the three branches of government, and the independent constitutional bodies. We have organized private sector advisory councils, and national-local mechanisms to establish the needed linkages,” Marcos said in his SONA at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City.
“Once again, on this same principle, I urge Congress to enact a new government procurement law and a new government auditing code, to make government procurement and auditing more attuned to these changing times,” he added.
The Government Procurement Reform Act or Republic Act No. 9184 was approved in January 2003, while the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, or Presidential Decree no. 1445, was issued on June 11, 1978.
Marcos also said the government will give effect to the mandate of the Constitution and the local government code, “at the soonest.”
“Almost all of the required devolution transition plans of the local government units are done. To fully prepare them for optimal devolution, the necessary technical and financial assistance is being extended to our local governments,” the president added. — Ralph Edwin Villanueva