One of the country’s most influential business groups is pressing the Marcos administration to take a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to dubious line items in the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget, urging it to do away with the ‘opacity’ surrounding the budget process.
In a statement on Thursday, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) stressed that the 2027 budget process is a litmus test for the government which is still reeling from the flood control corruption mess that has not only put graft in the public spotlight but also dampened investor confidence in the country.
It likewise described the 2027 budget as an opportunity for both Mr. Marcos and Congress to confront corruption concerns head-on.
As such, MAP said both the executive and legislative branches, along with government agencies involved in preparing and implementing the budget, should uphold the ‘highest standards of transparency, integrity and accountability in the use of public funds.’
‘The national budget is not government money. It is the people’s money. It comes from taxes paid by Filipino workers, consumers, and businesses, as well as from debt that will ultimately be borne by present and future generations,’ its statement read.
Follow every peso
‘The government therefore has an obligation to account for how every peso is allocated, spent, and translated into actual benefits for the Filipino people,’ it added.
MAP, a 1,400-member group comprising some of the Philippines’ top business executives, called for ‘zero tolerance’ for hidden insertions, questionable appropriations, favored contractors, ghost or substandard projects, unexplained realignments and the use of public funds for political accommodation or personal gain.
Such items have ‘no place in a government that claims to uphold good governance and fiscal responsibility,’ it said.
In particular, MAP wants greater scrutiny during congressional deliberations and the bicameral conference, where changes to the spending plan can be introduced before the final budget is submitted to the President for signing.
All material amendments and insertions should also be fully disclosed, including their proponents, amounts and intended purposes, it said.
‘The complexity of the budget process must never become a shield against public scrutiny or accountability,’ it said.
But transparency should not end once the General Appropriations Act is signed, MAP stressed.
The business group wants Filipinos to be able to trace public funds from appropriation and release through procurement, contract award, implementation, completion and eventual audit.
Blockchain technology
For major infrastructure and government projects, MAP said the public should be able to determine how much was appropriated, which contractor received the award, how much was actually disbursed and whether taxpayers ultimately received what was promised.
One way to achieve this, MAP said, is through the proposed Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability Act, which seeks to use technology, including blockchain, to make government spending more transparent and traceable.
Only when the government drops its ‘business as usual’ approach to the budget process can it truly rebuild public trust and restore confidence in the integrity of government spending, according to MAP.