The chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations is pushing for the passage of a bill extending the availability of the 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA) until December 31, 2022.
ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Go Yap, the panel chairman, said House Bill 10373 seeks to extend the availability of the 2021 appropriations from December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2022 to allow the agencies to fully utilize the allocated budget for 2021.
“[This is also] to implement government programs and projects and to ensure that the intended beneficiaries of these basic services are reached,” he explained.
“Nearing the end of the year, there are still programs, projects, and activities funded by the 2021 GAA that are very much needed by the Filipino people, especially those in the most vulnerable sector,” said Yap.
According to Yap, the pandemic affected the opportunities for socio-economic growth and development and also brought disruptions in the operations of government, which then caused delay in the release and issuances of budget allocations.
“The General Appropriations Act of 2021 centers on the philosophy that more than our priorities for a responsive and dynamic governance, the focus of our resources shall also be directed to the most urgent priority—to reset our momentum and action, rebound from the devastating effects of the pandemic on the health and economy, and fully recover from current and continuing impacts of the crisis,” he added.
The committee is set to start its deliberations on the proposal on Wednesday.
Under the bill, the appropriations for infrastructure capital outlays, including subsidy releases to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCC) for infrastructure projects, shall be valid for obligation until December 31, 2022, while the completion of construction, inspection, and payment shall be made not later than December 31, 2022.
On the other hand, appropriations for maintenance and other operating expenses and other capital outlays shall likewise be valid for obligation until December 31, 2022, while the delivery, inspection and payment shall be made not later than December 31, 2022.
The bill said the Department of Budget and Management is authorized to issue the necessary guidelines for the effective implementation of the cash budgeting system.
Also, the bill also mandates the submission of a report on these releases and disbursements to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Senate President, the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance.
Last year, the Congress has also extended the availability of the funds appropriated under the 2020 General Appropriations Act to support economic stimulus effort as well as pending infrastructure projects of the government.