City Council to hear SB-2 on Monday

CEBU, Philippines - The City Council has agreed to hear the proposed P256.86-million Supplemental Budget (SB) -2 on Monday, October 14.

The initial schedule of hearing last Tuesday did not push through after Councilor Margot Osmeña, chairperson of the Council’s committee on budget and finance, asked for time to validate and check the city’s revenue sources.

“The committee notes that while Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama certified the proposed SB-2 of the General Fund Proper and Special accounts as urgent, the committee believes that a careful review on the submitted budget documents is needed,” Osmeña said.

Rama submitted the proposed SB-2 Friday last week.

On Monday, members of the Local Finance Committee and Josefina Gonzales, officer-in-charge of the city accounting office, will explain the sources of funds as stated in the Certified Statement of Funding.

The report of the committee of budget and finance indicates a breakdown under reversion of the accounts payables of SB-2: Payables in 2008 amounting to P143,742.02; in 2009 amounting to P10,334,651.07; in 2010 amounting to P27,312,034.31; Payables-Miscellaneous-Various person amounting to P2,562,269.86 and 2001 appropriation amounting to P408,216.42.

The payables are dues the city owes the national government agencies and private contractors.

Those who will explain to the Council were instructed to bring pertinent documents like the list of accounts, the list of approved vouchers subject for check issuance and disbursement vouchers subject for fund certification from the city treasurer and copy of the bank reconciliation report every month’s end, starting January to September 2013, and daily from October 1 to 7.

The committee on Monday will present the proposed SB-2 which covers the P25-million allocation for personal services, specifically for the Office of the City Administrator; maintenance and other operating expenses (P201.36); and capital outlay intended for infrastructure projects (P30.5 million).

Another P10 million (motor vehicle outlay) is for the mobile patrol vehicles of the Cebu City Police Office.

The budget’s P33.94-million current operating expenditures MOOE is for gasoline, oil and lubricant, supplies and materials for motor vehicles, telecommunications, janitorial, and security services, with P189,000 set aside for policemen serving the mountain barangays.

Police allowance, including that for the National Bureau of Investigation and Maritime police operatives, is allotted P39.5 million.

The Cebu City Bureau of Fire Protection personnel, on the other hand, gets P3.6 million, while allowance for the judiciary and Office of the Regional State Prosecutor was pegged at P12.9million and P875,000, respectively.

SB-2 also includes P14.78 million as the City Government’s share in the expenses, particularly in the honoraria of the board election inspectors, for the Oct. 28 elections.

Infrastructure projects, like asphalting of roads, got an appropriation of P10 million.  Garbage collection and disposal services is allotted P21.6 million; sanitary landfill concerns, P1 million; and sanitation supplies and materials, P600,000. – (FREEMAN)