By SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
MANILA – A P223-million budget cut has been proposed for the Office of the President under the P2.606-trillion national budget proposal for 2015.
President Benigno Aquino III has sought P2.567 billion for his office. This is slightly lower than his 2014 budget of P2.790 billion.
Of this proposed amount, P1.910 billion will go to maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE).
Among the MOOE items that will take budget cuts are traveling expenses (P308 million in 2015 from P336 million in 2014), communication expenses (P33 million in 2015 from P50 million in 2014), and utility expenses (P113 million in 2015 from P118 million in 2014).
Allocation for personnel services such as salaries, on the other hand, increased to P636 million in 2015, from P608 million this year.
Meanwhile, from P183 million this year, only P20 million will be allotted for capital outlays in 2015.
The President’s proposed budget for confidential and intelligence expenses remained unchanged both at P250 million.
Under the presidential executive staff services, the Office of the President proposed a budget for local/foreign missions and state visits at P552 million, presidential security and close-in functions at P69 million, and management of special events and internal house affair at P118 million.
Meantime, the Office of the Vice President has proposed a P222.6-million budget in 2015, an increase from P217 million this year.
Congress also sought a higher allocation of P10.765 billion next year, compared to P10.742 billion in 2014.
The budget proposal for the House of Representatives has increased to P6.846 billion in 2015 from P6.624 billion in 2015.
The Senate, on the other hand, will have a lower budget of P3.15 billion in 2015 from P3.34 billion this year.
Other allocations in Congress are P120 million for the Senate Electoral Tribunal, P502 million for the Commission on Appointments, and P142 million for the House of Electoral Tribunal.
The proposed budget for the judiciary also jumped to P19.4 billion next year, from P18.5 billion this year. In particular, the Supreme Court will receive P17.36 billion in 2015, up from P16.407 billion this year./PN
