BUDGET. The Antique Provincial Board during their regular session on Monday (June 10, 2024). Board Member Victor Condez said in an interview Tuesday (June 10) that they approved the budget for the wages of some 1,000 contracts of service workers of the provincial government. (PNA photo by Annabel Consuelo J. Petinglay)
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The provincial board here has approved the allocation of PHP310 million of the PHP1 billion proposed supplemental budget No. 1 for the wages of contract of service employees, educational assistance and livelihood support.
Board Member Victor Condez said in an interview Tuesday they have to be prudent in spending, hence they only approved a portion of the supplemental budget.
“During the plenary, the local finance committee was not able to provide us the needed documents,” Condez said, referring to the remaining projects in the proposed budget.
The board required a certification from the Department of Energy (DOE) allowing the use of the share of the province from the national wealth amounting to PHP924 million, the principal source of the supplemental budget.
The slashed portion of the budget was for the solar systems at the provincial district and municipal hospitals, streetlights, and home solar, among others.
“Last year, the Commission on Audit disallowed the procurement of PHP125 million generator sets from the national wealth share, so we are now very careful unless there would be a DOE certification,” Condez said.
He added that the provincial government also needs to secure the approval of the Department of Budget and Management and the DOE certification before it disburses the fund for salary and educational assistance since the share of the national wealth share is embedded in the budget. (PNA)
