Lower 2023 budget for Negros Occidental seen

May 29, 2022 by No Comments

NEGROS Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is expecting a lower budget for the provincial government in 2023.He said this despite the Mandanas ruling of the Supreme Court that increases the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of local government units (LGUs).The governor said the collection three years before the ruling came out this year was bad aside from the fact that the province is still suffering from the effects of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.Negros Occidental has a budget allocation of P5.7 billion for 2022, an increase of P600 million compared to 2021.But the budget for 2023 has yet to be formulated by the provincial government, Lacson said.LGUs presently get their IRA from 40 percent of national internal revenue taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue.Aimed at addressing inequality in financial resources among LGUs, the Mandanas Garcia ruling is projected to increase the IRA of the localities in the Philippines by 27.61 percent, according to the Department of Interior and Local Government.It also seeks to improve the capacity of LGUs, and enhance transparency and accountability.