Gov’t agencies to set GBP guidelines

CEBU, Philippines - Local government units and some government agencies now have guidelines on the implementation of the grassroots participatory budgeting process for them to prepare for the coming national budget.

The Department of Budget and Management, Department of Interior and Local Government, Social Welfare Department and the National Anti-Poverty Commission have issued a joint memorandum circular to set policy guidelines for the GBP execution in time for the 2016 national budget and the proposed budget in following years.

The new circular stated the budgetary reform aims to "ensure the inclusion of the funding requirements for local development needs as they are identified at the local level in the budget proposals of participating agencies."

The GBP allows public resources allocation to be more responsive to the needs of the community residents and local governments in preparation for local growth planning and budgeting of agencies.

The current regular GBP process requires cities and municipalities to go through procedures: consultations with civil society organizations; submission of list of priority poverty reduction projects; and justification and review of these projects by regional and national poverty reduction action teams. The RPRAT is the one that identifies the appropriate implementing agency for each project.

The joint circular further stated the funding for both national government agency and LGU-implemented GBP projects will only be released if the LGU passes the good financial housekeeping component of the seal of good governance, has considerable accomplishment in public financial management improvement plan, releases budget for the counterpart LGU and submits proper financial and physical accomplishment reports.

The Budget Department and participating agencies will include the funding for the approved projects into the National Expenditure Program.  (FREEMAN)