Aklan SP okays P976-M budget for 2011

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Aklan approved the 2011 provincial budget of P976,436,012 embracing Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez' agenda for social and economic development.

SP member Selwyn Ibarreta, chairman of the committee on appropriations, said the proposed budget for General Fund of P587,989,907 and the P388,446,105 for the Economic Enterprise Development Department (EEDD) were approved on third and final reading in a special session on Tuesday morning.

Ibarreta said the governor submitted the proposed provincial budget on October 15, 2010. A series of budget deliberations with the department heads was conducted last month, he added.

Last year, the provincial board approved the P949 million budget, of which P557-million was allocated for general fund.

Of the P587 million for general fund next year, P293.70 million or 50 percent is allocated for general public services, P180.90 million or 30 percent for economic services, P327,000 for aid to barangays, P83.6 million or 14 percent for social services and P29.4 million for reserve for calamity.

Ibarreta said 88 percent of the general fund or P516.9 million will be sourced from Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), P60.7 million from local taxes and the remaining two percent from operating and miscellaneous revenues.

For EEDD operations, P217.713 or 56 percent has been allocated for personnel services, P139.911-million or 36 percent for maintenance and operating expenses and P30.821 million for capital outlays.

"After the budget hearings, almost all departments have the same amount for budgetary allocations next year except for the Office of the Provincial Governor, Provincial Assessor's Office and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan," Ibarreta stressed.

The approved budget allocations of the provincial government departments are P162.183 million for the Office of the Provincial Governor, P14.240 million for Provincial Treasurer's Office, P8.471 million for Provincial Agriculturist's Office, P8.446 million for Provincial Planning and Development Office, P31.423-million for SP Aklan, P13.693 million for Provincial Assessor's Office, P2.138 million for the Provincial Legal Office, P15.463 million for Provincial Accounting Office, P6.912 million for the Provincial Human Resource Management Office and P7.988 million for Provincial Budget Office.