The Davao City council has vowed to work overtime in a bid to pass the 2017 budget before December ends.
“The annual budget is scheduled for second reading today but even if we meet, only the presentations will be made since there are no department heads present,” Mahipus said in an interview Thursday.
He, however, assured the public they will have sufficient time to pass the budget before December ends.
City Councilor Bonifacio Militar called off the session last Tuesday since most of the councilors were either on official business (OB) or on sick leave. Those on OB represented the city in national conventions being held in the city and important events outside Davao.
The proposed General Fund Annual Budget and Plantilla of the City Government of Davao for Calendar year 2017 amounting to PHp6.9 billion was passed on first reading and already referred to the Committee on Finance, Ways and Means and Appropriations.
Next year’s proposed budget is an increase of PHP6 billion compared to last year’s budget of PHp6.3 billion. The city’s budget has been increasing from PHp5.1 billion in 2014, PHp5.8 billion in 2016 and PHp6.3 billion in 2016.
The Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), the local government’s share in the national coffers, is still the top source of the city’s proposed PHp6.9 billion budget for next year.
In her budget message, Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio said the 2017 source of funds reflects an increase of PHp643,136,561 or 10.2 percent from Calendar Year 2016 estimates. This is attributed to the increase of the Internal Revenue Allotment for 2017 due to the increased collection in internal revenue in CY 2015 (the base year of 2017 IRA computation).
IRA accounts for 60 percent or PHp4,166,576,989 of the budget, a 15 percent increase amounting to PHp543,781,561 compared to the city’s IRA share in the 2016 budget amounting to PHp3,622,795,428.
“The City’s Local Sources in the amount of PHp2,779,755,000 is an all-time high estimate of the City Treasurer and the income generating offices of the City,” Sara said. The local sources for the budget is a 3.7 percent increase compared to this year’s PHp2,680,400,000.
The top contributor to the local budget source is the local taxes amounting to PHp2,235,520,000 with a 32.18 percent share. The following forms part of the local sources: fees, permits and license income, service income, business and other income.
The Economic Enterprises has a 1.18 percent share amounting to PHp138,000,000 which is a 5.4 percent or PHp7.1 million increase compared to the 2016 estimates. This is attributed to the “efficient collection performance of some units under the Economic Enterprises in the past year, more particularly on the Operation of Markets.” (PNA)
