Makabayan: DICT's 6% budget utilization rate 'unjustified'

Makabayan bloc lawmakers on Friday called out the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) over the agency's measly 6% budget utilization rate so far.

"Yesterday, they cannot explain why the utilization rate is so low. The 43% utilization [rate] out of the cash released to them by the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) is not a valid reasoning," House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of Gabriela party-list said in an online press conference.

"It does not work that way. We obligated them a certain amount of budget and we expect them to be able to disburse it. Besides, even the DBM official present explained that they cannot release the budget to the DICT because DICT is not able to submit its quarterly report on usage of their funds," added Brosas.

"That [failure to submit the report] shows that they are not efficient in utilizing their funds." 

As of August 25, the P14 billion available to the DICT is comprised of P9.7 billion from its 2023 budget and P4.733 billion in continuing appropriations from its 2022 budget.

GMA News Online has reached out to DICT chief Ivan Uy for comment but he has yet to reply as of posting time.

Kabataan party-list lawmaker Raoul Manuel, for his part, said DICT's low utilization rate deprives the public of social services due them given that the Free Public Wifi law has yet to be fully implemented.

"This low utilization is affecting programs that should benefit the public. As one of the authors of the Free Public Wifi law...across provinces, access to Wifi remains scarce," Manuel said.

He also told DICT to "step up" as SIM-assisted crimes continue to proliferate despite the implementation of the SIM Registration law.

"And while we already said that SIM Registration law is not the way to go,  the DICT should step up in addressing these SIM-assisted crimes and protecting our data," Manuel added.

In its catch up plan submitted to the House appropriations panel, DICT included a catch-up plan to accelerate its budget utilization, saying that it should go up to 28% by September, 58.55% by October, 60.32% in November, and 70% in December. —VAL, GMA Integrated News