House eyes Oct. 4 OK of national budget

THE HOUSE of Representatives targets final approval of the proposed P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget by Oct. 4, before the 18^th Congress takes a month-long break, according to a senior official of the chamber’s Appropriations committee.

“Susubukan po ng House (will try to approve it) before October 5,” Albay 2^nd District Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente Sarte Salceda, vice-chairman of the committee, told reporters in a briefing when asked on the deadline for budget approval in the chamber.

The government operated on a reenacted 2018 budget from January to April 15, when President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed this year’s national budget into law but vetoed P95.3 billion in funds that were not in sync with state priorities, slashing the total to P3.662 trillion.

“Yes, that (House schedule) will work for the Senate because it gives us time to scrutinize the budget, as well as for the bicameral conference. We don’t want a repeat of last year’s situation where delay hurt our economic growth,” Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara, Senate Finance committee chairman, said via text. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras