THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) topped a list of agencies that were rated “unsatisfactory” in the use of their budgets, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Wednesday.
Also landing in the unsatisfactory category were the departments of Finance and Tourism, it said.
The DBM said the main reason behind the poor budget execution was procurement snags, but gave no specific details about which aspects of these agencies’ performance led to the unsatisfactory ratings.
The agencies’ performance ratings were announced at the launch of the DBM’s Budget ng Bayan Monitor.
The DBM has been pressuring agencies to use their funding more efficiently and in a timely manner because slowdowns in government spending can derail economic growth.
Agencies that fail to spend adequately at the start of the year, when the bulk of the national budget is released, are often asked to submit “catch-up plans” to bring their spending back in line with expectations.
Budget Undersecretary Rolando U. Toledo said during the event: “The majority of agencies demonstrated commendable efforts in fulfilling their mandates, with several achieving outstanding ratings.”
Among the outstanding agencies were the Civil Service Commission, the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau, the Foreign Service Institute, the Public Attorney’s Office, and the National Wages and Productivity Commission.
Rated “very satisfactory” were the Office of the President, the Office of the Vice President, and the Department of Education.
Asked what the DBM plans for such agencies, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the DBM will help them come up with recovery plans, but also raised the prospect of reduced funding if performance does not improve.
“Maybe we can first sit down with them and then ask for their catch-up plan,” Ms. Pangandaman said. “If it really can’t be improved, maybe we should just remove those projects.”
Mr. Toledo added: “While many agencies have shown commendable progress, the report also identifies areas for improvement, particularly in procurement efficiency, report submission, and strategic planning… “The findings serve as a valuable tool for guiding future reforms and enhancing public service delivery.” — Katherine K. Chan