Prov’l gov’t eyes P5-B 2022 budget

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is expecting a P5 billion budget for the provincial government in 2022.
The governor said the province is expecting a P1.4 billion increase in the National Tax Allocation (NTA), formerly called Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

Lacson said the increase is due to the implementation of the Mandanas law which provides that all local government units will receive additional budget allocation as all collections of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and other taxes will be included in the computation of the NTA.

“We’ll be hitting P5 billion for next year,” Lacson said, adding that he has until next month (October) to submit the budget proposal to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) for approval.

The 2022 budget will prioritize education, health and infrastructure projects and programs. “There’s a need to have bigger allocation for the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure we sustain another year just in case the pandemic lingers on,” Lacson said.*