Proposed Cebu City 2015 budget P18.9B

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Hall executive department has submitted yesterday its 2015 Annual Budget amounting to P18.9 billion, which is P8.4 billion higher than this year’s allocation of P10.5 billion.

City Budget Officer Marietta Gumia said the amount is the biggest proposed executive budget so far. The city’s annual budget for 2014 was P5.9 billion, while it was P5.19 billion in 2013.

In 2012, the City Council approved a P5.3-billion annual budget, which was roughly half of the proposed budget of P11.8 billion.

Anticipating that the City Council would slash the budget once a huge amount is sought for approval, the Local Finance Committee proposed P12.6 billion for next year.

Mayor Michael Rama, however, said there was not enough fund source for the expenditures.

The amount would be sourced from the projected tax revenue (P2.6 billion), non-tax revenue (P770 million), sale of government lots (P10.8 billion), auction sale of real properties and share from joint venture and other activities (P50 million each), Internal Revenue Allotment (P1.4 billion) as recommended by the Department of Budget and Management, proceeds from domestic borrowings amounting to P3.1 billion, among others.

Of the projected revenue, Gumia said the city would still have a balance of P5.5 million for the general (P228,489) and the special (P5,275,050) accounts.

The executive, on the other hand, is also proposing P1,047,506,407 for special accounts.

Some of the annual budget’s fund sources would be the city’s economic enterprises or income generating department, including City Resources Management and Development Center in Barangay Taptap (P18 million); City Medical Center and other medical facilities (P69.96 million); Division for the Welfare and Urban Poor (P34 million); city and satellite markets (P85 million), City Abattoir at the North Reclamation Area (P17 million); general income accounts (P2.5 billion), among others.

The proposed budget’s expenditures include P1.2 billion for personal services, P5 billion for Maintenance and other Operating Expenses, P8.7 billion for Capital Outlay, P3.3 billion for financial expenses.

Of the P18.9 billion, P828.8 million o would be used to subsidize the special accounts, including the local development fund (P610,550, 000) and hospitals (P218,271,457).

The executive department is also proposing a P1-billion aid to city barangays; P276 million operating expenses of City Hall’s offices and departments; P5-billion budget for maintenance of drainage systems, construction and maintenance services, among others.

Next year’s budget banks on 11 key programs, including disaster preparedness; roads and bridges; drainage and river management; education, scholarship; garbage/solid waste management; citizens charter; health; nutrition, amelioration and other social services; peace and order/traffic management; City Hall at your doorsteps, other public services; and South Road Properties.

Rama said these advances are designed to sustain operation of pertinent programs where current generation of resources is still insufficient to fully finance these.

“I submit this executive budget for your legislative consideration. With you support and cooperation we shall realize our goals in promoting the general welfare of our people.” the mayor said.

On the other hand, the 2015 annual investment plan, which is nearly P20 billion,  is yet to be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod. — /RHM (FREEMAN)