DBM: Fuel subsidy funds yet to be released pending joint memo circular

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday said while funds are already available for the fuel subsidy, this has yet to be released as the involved government agencies have yet to submit the necessary documents.

Asked to comment on the fuel subsidy, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the agency cannot release the funds before a joint memorandum circular (JMC) is submitted by the concerned agencies.

“The funding is available, it’s just in the GAA (General Appropriations Act), kailangan po maglalabas si LTFRB ng JMC na wala pa po hanggang ngayon (the LTFRB needs to release a JMC which is still pending). We we are waiting for that,” she said in a Palace public briefing.

“Kailangan po namin ng kopya kasi nasa GAA po eh (We need a copy because it is in the GAA), we cannot release without that,” Pangandaman added.

Citing the 2023 GAA, the DBM earlier said the signatories of the JMC are the Departments of Transportation (DOTr), Energy (DOE), and DBM. This would set the process for identifying and validating the program’s beneficiaries.

The LTFRB earlier said some P3 billion was earmarked for fuel subsidies in the form of call cards, which could be used by drivers of public utility vehicles (PUVs) in select gasoline stations.

LTFRB Technical Division chief Joel Bolano last week said they plan to distribute the fuel subsidies before the end of the month, and that they are just awaiting the funds.

“When (Transportation) Secretary (Jaime) Bautista called me last week, sinabihan na po namin siya na kailangan matapos na po nila ‘yung JMC (we already told them that they need to finish the JMC),” Pangandaman said.

GMA News Online has reached out to Bautista for comment on the matter, but no response has been received as of posting time.

Senator Grace Poe, who heads the Senate public services committee, earlier called on the DOTr and other concerned agencies to release the fuel subsidy as soon as possible. —KBK, GMA Integrated News