The national government is speeding up the disbursement of public funds to tackle delays in infrastructure project delivery while maintaining rigorous project evaluation standards.
Speaking at a briefing at Malacañang, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro assured the public that fast-tracking disbursements will not compromise project vetting.
”Iyan din naman po ang gustong mangyari at naipangako ni DBM Secretary Kim de Leon pero hindi naman dahil sa nagmamadali tayo ay hindi na natin ia-assess or ie-evaluate ang mga programa at mga proyekto na isasagawa sa ngayon,” Castro said.
”Nandoon pa rin po ang pag-iingat pero mas mabilis na po ang pagri-release ng pondo ngayon basta po mapatunayan lamang na tama po ang proyektong gagawin,” Castro added.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously raised concerns regarding execution delays, pointing to constraints in the absorptive capacity of contractors and line agencies.
Castro explained that reduced public spending in the prior year stemmed from government efforts to safeguard public funds, choosing to withhold allocations from insufficiently supported proposals.
She noted that this deliberate caution contributed to the economy missing its growth targets.
”Kaya ngayon po ay puspusan ang pamahalaan sa pamumuno na rin po ng DBM ni Secretary Kim de Leon na dapat ay magkaroon na po ng public spending at ang nangunguna po dito ay patungkol sa imprastraktura,” Castro said.
”At hindi po kailangang mag-alala, ang sabi nga po ng Pangulo iyan po ang tinitingnan at kailangang balansehin,” Castro added.
To prevent further delays and verify contractor qualifications, the administration plans to set up an Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Project Implementation and Results Monitoring for Infrastructure, along with the InfraCom, through the Department of Budget and Management.