Aklan prov’l board approves P2.045-B budget for 2019

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

Without a hitch, the proposed P2.045-billion provincial annual budget for fiscal year 2019 was approved in the third and final reading by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan on December 17.

 

The budget of P2,045,746,825 is  9 percent higher compared to this year’s budget of  P2.011-million due to increase in Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of the province. 

The annual IRA is expected to hit 53 percent of the total budget or P1.096,246,825 next year, while 8 percent or P158.350,000 will mainly come from real property taxes of P55-million and P60-million from Special Education Fund (SEF).  

The Appropriation Ordinance No. 2018-022 was unanimously approved authorizing P1,254,596,825 for  Regular Fund or 61 percent, and P791,150,000 for the operations of Local Economic Enterprises (LEE) or 39 percent of the annual budget.  

 

The LEE budget is 8 percent lower than the previous year’s budget due to temporary closure of Boracay Island.  

On October 16, Aklan governor Florencio Miraflores through the Provincial Local Finance Committee (PLFC) and the Provincial Budget Office submitted the proposed budget for review and enactment of the 17th SP Aklan. 

It was then calendared for business of the 106th regular session on October 22. 

The proposed budget was also referred to the committee of the whole for a series of budget briefings, hearings and deliberations with the provincial department head and representatives of national government offices on November 14, 15, 21, 22, 27 and December 11. 

The bulk of annual budget is allocated for tourism, agriculture, health, social services, economic, calamity, debt servicing and general services. 

Of the figure, general public services will get P591-million and P865-million for social services and operations of  provincial hospital and related offices. 

The local legislative body also adopted the consolidated Committee Report No. 2018-233 recommending the approval of annual budget during the 113th regular session on Monday.   

Miraflores signed the appropriation ordinance in the presence of Aklan Vice Governor Reynaldo Quimpo and the board members immediately after the SP Aklan passage.