Palace sets mid-December timeline for budget signing

THE President’s spokesman said Thursday that he expects President Rodrigo R. Duterte to sign next year’s spending plan by the second week of December, signaling confidence in avoiding any further snags that might delay the 2021 national budget.

In a briefing, Herminio L. Roque, Jr. said he expects the 2021 National Expenditure Program to be signed before the year ends, and added that the country cannot afford a re-enacted budget, which is expected to dampen the recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

“Inaasahan mapipirmahan ng Presidente at least on the second week of December kasi ipa- publish pa ‘ yan sa dyaryo at sa Offi cial Gazette para maging epektibo at sa ganun para walang re-enacted budget pagdating sa Enero ( We are hoping the President will sign by the second week of December, because there are publication requirements for new legislation and thus we expect no re- enacted budget in January),” he said.

Last week, the House of Representatives approved the P4.5- trillion spending plan for 2021 after Mr. Duterte called on the chamber to hold a special session that will fast- track the passage of the budget following a power struggle between Former Speaker Alan Peter S. Cayetano and his successor Lord Allan Q. Velasco.

The President brokered the shared speakership term between the two last year but the delayed handover provoked a vote by insurgent legislators that ousted

Mr. Cayetano during the budget deliberations.

Budget deliberations are ongoing in the Senate. Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Juan Edgardo M. Angara said he expects hearings on government agencies’ individual budgets will conclude this week.

The Palace has said that the government cannot afford to have a reenacted budget because the 2020 budget, if rehashed for the early months of next year, has no allocations specifically for COVID-19 measures. —