2019 nat’l budget ready by Q1: Diokno

In his weekly press event “Breakfast with Ben”, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Congress has promised to submit the 2019 General Appropriations Bill to President Rodrigo Duterte by March 1. (File Photo: Department of Budget and Management)

MANILA — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has assured that the 2019 national budget will be enacted before the end of the first quarter.

In his weekly press event “Breakfast with Ben”, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said Congress has promised to submit the 2019 General Appropriations Bill to President Rodrigo Duterte by March 1.

The President has 30 days to act on it from the receipt… Thirty days, I can assure you,” he said.

He mentioned that as soon as the DBM receives the copy of the bill, the agency will go through the document line by line to prepare for the Statement of Difference (SOD).

It will also make recommendations to the Chief Executive whenever amendments will be needed.

“The President will have the option to veto because the President, our President, has line-item veto power for the budget, tax, and tariff bill. What does that mean? We can cross out items to the budget and sign the bill as approved,” Diokno said.

The DBM chief added he sees no need to extend the reenacted budget as the new budget will be implemented before March ends.

“We actually authorized agencies up to the first quarter,” he added.

The bicameral conference committee approved the PHP3.757-trillion spending bill last Friday before Congress went on recess for the 2019 midterm elections campaign.