By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) is expected to deliberate the proposed 2023 budget for the province next week.

Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said they had already scheduled the deliberation and it had already been referred to the SP’s Committee on Finance.

Ferrer said the committee had already been told to follow the timeline every year when it comes to approving the budget.

The proposed 2023 provincial budget is expected to be approved by the first week of December, and the scheduled hearing for the department heads should also begin next week.

The proposed budget for Negros Occidental in 2023 is pegged at P4.9 billion. 

Next year’s budget is lower by 12.7 percent compared to the P5.7 billion budget for 2022./DGB, WDJ