Former PHL treasurer questions P20-B budget grant to Bangsamoro

A former Philippine treasurer is questioning the P20-billion 'block grant' from the national budget to the proposed Bangsamoro region that will not be under Congressional scrutiny.

 

In an interview, former Treasurer and social watch convener Prof. Leonor Briones said the P20-billion worth of annual 'block grant' granted by the Department of Budget and Management starting 2015 will not be subjected to government supervision and disbursements  monitoring.

 

Although some people laud the peace pact signing, there were contentious issues on the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro in terms of disbursement, she explained.

 

The proposed 2015 budget includes a P12.5-billion allocation of for the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as the transitional authority until the Bangsamoro is fully in place.

 

The amount is expected to be increased to P20 Billion in 2016 when the Bangsamoro government is established. She said Annex A of the Bangsamoro law stated that the 'block grant' should not be less than P20 Billion.

 

“So here is our taxpayers' money, given to the Bangsamoro authority and we cannot even monitor or audit how it's going to be used?” Briones said. “Fiscal autonomy should mean that you will raise the funds that you will spend,” she added.

 

In international practice, a block grant is a national fund given to a local government unit – only for specified programs.

 

“But the block grant is given from the national fund to a local government unit for specific objective or program of the national government and not to finance operations of the local government units,” Briones told reporters in an interview at the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG).

 

“The problem will be on the accountability as the Bangsamoro law indicate it will have its own audit and will not be subjected to the Commission on Audit (COA) by the national government,” she said.

 

The US government implements similar block grants to its states to fund programs of the national government, she added. – Rouchelle Dinglasan/VS, GMA News