House of Representatives (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
The House Committee on Appropriations will start scrutinizing the budgets of the individual agencies this week as the hearings on the P5.768-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2024 goes into high gear.
The per agency budget deliberations are traditionally the most grueling part of the budget process in the House of Representatives, as the individual hearings tend to go on hours on end. This year is expected to be no exception.
For Aug. 14 to 17, the Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co-led appropriations panel has scheduled deliberations for the proposed budgets of 10 agencies and departments.
These are Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Monday, Aug. 14; Department of Tourism (DOT) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday, Aug. 15.
On Wednesday, Aug. 16, the House members will tackle the 2024 budgets of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Energy (DOE), and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
Then, on Thursday, Aug. 17, the 2024 budgets of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will be up for discussion.
As courtesy to the congressmen, no less than the heads of these agencies and departments are expected to attends their respective budget hearings.
The House hearings on the proposed 2024 national budget was launched last Thursday, Aug. 10, when the Development and Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) briefed the solons on the macroeconomic assumptions of the NEP.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez had earlier said that the appropriations panel's hearings on the NEP will only last for four weeks.
"Sisiguruhin natin na maipapasa natin ang 2024 [budget] sa loob ng limang linggo lamang. Apat na linggo sa mga komite, at isang linggo sa plenaryo (We will ensure the passage of the 2024 budget within just five weeks. Four weeks in the committees, and one week in plenary)," Romualdez said.
Source: Manila Bulletin (https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/13/house-panel-to-start-grueling-agency-budget-hearings-on-2024-nep)
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