Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday said the government could save up to P170 billion if it would reduce expenses for non-essential activities by 20%.
Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate finance committee and the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) committee, said the savings could instead be used to beef up the government’s response to the rising prices of fuel and other basic commodities amid the Middle East conflict.
“Meron kaming proposal pa na bawasan pa ‘yung mga pondo ng iba’t ibang ahensya pagdating sa mga non-essentials tulad ng travelling, training. Makakalikom tayo ng P170 billion kung magbawas tayo ng 20%,” he said in an interview on Balitanghali.
(We have a proposal to further reduce the budget of various agencies when it comes to non-essentials like traveling and training. We can save P170 billion if we reduce these activities by 20%.)
Asked if the proposal will push through, Gatchalian said, “‘Yun ang aming mungkahi sa mga agencies at sa DBM. Inaantay na lang namin ‘yung paglalabas nila ng national budget circular para ma-activate na ito.”
(That is our suggestion to the agencies and the DBM. We are just waiting for them to issue the national budget circular so that it can be activated.)
The senator earlier lamented the government agencies’ supposed failure to come up with a unified, coordinated, and comprehensive national contingency plan amid the crisis.
Nevertheless, he expressed hope that the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) committee that was created when President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. declared a state of national energy emergency will help with the contingency plan.
“Nakikita rin natin na maraming mga hakbang ang gobyerno na hindi coordinated sa isa’t isa. Kaya kailangan itong UPLIFT committee ay mabuo na,” Gatchalian said.
(We also see that there were many government initiatives that were not coordinated with each other. That is why this UPLIFT committee needs to be formed. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
