By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has unanimously approved the province’s 2024 budget.

Board member Rommel Debulgado, SP committee on finance chairman, said they approved the annual budget in the amount of P5.4 billion during their regular session on Tuesday, December 5.

The budget includes the P5.2 billion general fund, and the P190 million budget for the Economic Enterprise Development Department.

Debulgado said there is a 5.66 percent increase in the 2024 budget, compared to the P5.1 billion budget this year, due to the rise in the National Tax Allotment for the province.

The said funds will be utilized to continue various projects under Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson’s Abanse Negrense Agenda.

In October, Lacson said that the 2024 budget is a testament to the provincial government’s diligence and commitment in addressing the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He highlighted that Negros Occidental has made significant progress in the agriculture, industry and commerce sectors, indicating a strong recovery from the pandemic’s impacts./DGB, WDJ