THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will stage budget consultation sessions with various agencies and state-owned firms for 2022, the last spending plan of the administration’s term.
Budget Secretary Wendel E. Avisado issued Circular Letter No. 2021-1 dated Jan. 11, posted online on Wednesday, inviting agencies to the budget forum at the end of the month.
The 2022 budget consultations will be held virtually on Jan. 26-28, over asynchronous sessions in which video presentations will be delivered. Officials responsible for the budget, accounting and planning from the agencies and government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) are required to attend.
On Jan. 29, the representatives are due to participate in a virtual open forum on their budget proposals and other matters.
The DBM gave agencies and GOCCs until Friday, Jan. 15 to identify their designated representatives.
Late last week, Mr. Avisado issued the budget call for 2022 through National Budget Memorandum No. 138, ordering agencies to prepare their proposals before the spending plan is submitted to President Rodrigo R. Duterte on July 22, in time for the State of the Nation Address.
The National Government’s budget for 2022 is estimated at P5.024 trillion, an 11.6% increase from this year’s P4.5 trillion. — Beatrice M. Laforga
