Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. yesterday expressed hopes that the “penchant of Congress to craft a bill on the 11th hour” may work for the budget bill as lawmakers would only have about a week to deliberate on the legislation when session resumed on July 23.
“If you look at its [Congress] history, there were many instances of so-called ‘photo-finish’ legislation in the past,” Andaya pointed out.
Lawmakers have barely a week to pass the 2006 budget before President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo delivers her State of the Nation Address where she will also present Malacañang’s budget proposal for 2007.
Andaya said one way of breaking the impasse on the budget—triggered by the Senate’s slashing of P26 billion from the proposed budget—was for the Upper Chamber to approve the House version in its entirety.
Andaya said despite government efforts to operate on a reenacted budget, Congress should realize the need for a new capital outlay that would respond to priority projects of President Arroyo for 2006.
“Congress should realize that a new budget this fiscal year is good for the people, good for the economy, and good for the country. What we are pushing for is the passage of the national budget without deletion, if possible, because its employees labored for months in writing it,” Andaya said.
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