Gov’t spends 57% more on infrastructure in Jan-Nov

MANILA, Philippines – Government spending on infrastructure in January-to-November period increased by 57% to P185.6 billion as the Aquino administration races against time to accelerate disbursements this 2012.

Learning from how underspending in 2011, especially in infrastructure, contributed to lower economic growth, the government coursed infrastructure investments and capital outlay to programs by the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Agriculture

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said the introduction of the DPWH of project costing and reforms helped ensure that public funds are used “on the right projects, at the right cost and with the right quality.”

Of the P185.6 billion funds, included are capital outlays and maintenance and other operating expenditures (MOOE), which grew by 49.7% to P226.5 billion.

Abad said these disbursements are expected to translate to better delivery of social services.

“The strong showing of government spending on infrastructure and MOOE indicates that social and economic services are being delivered faster, better and with more impact to socioeconomic development. Just the same, we continue to work on strengthening public institutions and improving their capacity to deliver services,” Abad said.

The MOOE, meanwhile, went to social protection and other poverty reduction programs, with P10 billion released in November for the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and other social welfare programs.

On Thursday, December 27, the government announced that it has recorded a budget deficit of P127.3 billion in the first 11 months of the year, way below the 2012 ceiling of P279 billion even as both revenues and state spending improved. – Rappler.com