By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Provincial Budget Office Jose Percival Salado yesterday revealed the provincial government executive department proposed a P4.4 billion budget before the Provincial Board for 2020. The figure is about ten percent higher than this year’s budget.
“The proposed budget was up for [the] signing yesterday of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson,” Salado said.
He explained, the proposed budget comes from the 2020 internal revenue allotment, or a local government unit’s share of national tax revenue, which amounts to P3.72 billion. The rest will be sourced from the Economic Enterprise Development Department (EEDD) and other local income sources.
Following the budget proposal, the board is expected to conduct hearings prior to passage.
Meanwhile, Salado said there will be increases in the EEDD fund allocations as well as maintenance and other operating expenditures, gender advocacy and development, calamity fund, among other funds.
In terms of personnel services, the budget officer said it costs would remain the same after the provincial government’s full implementation of the Salary Standardization Law./DGB, WDJ

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