Tom lobbies P299M supplemental budget

The Cebu City Council is set to hold a budget hearing today for the proposed P299.9 million third supplemental budget.

Bulk of the budget or P188.4 million is for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) compromise settlement for basic tax deficiency.

Others include P55 million for the City Hospitalization Assistance and Medicines Program, and P40 million for the paving and retreading of various city streets, among others.

Acting City Treasurer Veronica Morelos said the P188.4 million for BIR is the city’s unsettled proprietary functions since 2010.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña submitted this year’s third additional budget to the City Council Wednesday last week.

“I am submitting here with for your consideration, Supplemental Budget No. 3CY 2018 for the General Fund Proper, City of Cebu to cover urgent and necessary expenses,” read portion of the 14-page proposed SB-3.

Other items in the SB-3 include the repairs and maintenance of artesian wells (P1 million), financial assistance to Barangay Banilad (P8 million), terminal leave benefits of employees (P1.5 million), and payment for the consumer price index and power cost adjustment to Pilipinas Water Resources, Inc. (P940,337.44).

The executive department will realign the continuing appropriations to fund these “urgent and necessary expenses.”

It will be sourced from the P291.89-million continuing appropriations of city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works construction services.

With the budget realignment, several projects of the city would no longer be implemented.

These are the flood control and drainage systems (P85 million), flood control and drainage system and right of way acquisition and structure Mahiga Creek (P100 million), asphalting of roads (P10 million), facelifting of industrial road at the South Road Properties (P72 million), and abattoir office with supply room and training conference (P15 million), among others.

The proposed SB-3 will be deliberated in today’s budget hearing.

This year, the City Council, led by the allies of the present administration, already approved two additional appropriations– P469.46 million SB-1 for special projects and programs intended for senior citizens, among others; and P66.5 million SB-2 for the garbage collection and honoraria of Sangguniang Kabataan officials.