19th Aklan SP approves P2.627 B annual budget

KALIBO, Aklan – The 19th Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan, sitting as the Committee of the Whole, led by Provincial Vice Governor and Regular Presiding Officer, Atty. Reynaldo M. Quimpo, concluded budget deliberations on December 9, 2022, and pushed for the approval of the P2,626,910,729.00 2023 annual budget of the provincial government of Aklan on its third and final reading during the body’s 23rd Regular Session on December 19, 2022.

The budget estimated revenues for 2023 had increased by five percent (5%) or more than ₱100 million from the ₱2,513,217,588.00 projected receipts in 2022 to ₱2,626,910,729.00 in 2023. This is despite the fact that the national tax allotment for the province has decreased by 14.4 percent for nextyear,r with ₱1,523,810,729.00 for2023, down3 from ₱1,781,607,588.00 in 2022.

Regular Fund Budget comprises sixty-six percent (66%) of total budget appropriations, or ₱1,721,910,729.00, and thirty-four percent (34%), or ₱905 million, is allocated for the operations of the Local Economic Enterprise (LEE).

With the theme “Strengthening Resilience Towards Recovery,” the 2023 Annual Budget is aimed at prioritizing funding for the improvement of health services, economic recovery, and sustaining the momentum of transition from the aftermath of the pandemic.

By sectoral expenditures, social services took the biggest chunk of the 2023 annual budget with an allocation ₱1,270,349,389.29 or forty-eight percent (48%) of the annual budget, followed by general public services with an allocation of ₱695,132,714.53 or twenty-seven percent (27%) and economic services with ₱661,428,625.18 allocation equivalent to twenty-five percent (25%).

The ceremonial signing of the 2023 annual budget was attended by the 19th Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan, the Provincial Local Finance Committee, heads of the different offices of the Provincial Government of Aklan, employees and staff of the Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Aklan, and various media outlets.

The approval of the 2023 annual executive budget of the Provincial Government of Aklan is embodied in SP Appropriation Ordinance No. 2022-035. (By Nicolas Evan G. Fuentes)