THE government utilized 92.7 percent of its cash allocations as of the end of August, slower than a year ago, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Of the P3.624 trillion in notice of cash allocations (NCAs) released by the DBM from January to August, P3.360 trillion was used by the entire government, latest data from the DBM showed.
The year-to-date utilization rate was lower than the 93.8 percent recorded in the same period last year, when P3.147 trillion of the P3.356 trillion in NCAs released had been utilized.
NCAs are disbursement authorities issued by the DBM to cover the cash requirements of the operations, programs and projects of government agencies.
A higher NCA utilization rate reflects the capacity of state agencies to timely disburse their allocated funds and implement their programs and projects.
Broken down, line departments deployed P2.214 trillion of the P2.471 trillion in NCAs released to them from January to August, equivalent to an 89.6 percent NCA utilization rate. No agency recorded a 100 percent utilization rate as of end-August.
The Commission on Audit and Commission on Human Rights posted the highest utilization rate among departments at 99.6 percent, while the Office of the President had the lowest utilization rate at 68.4 percent.
Among the biggest NCA recipients, the Department of Education received P569.197 billion and utilized 93.2 percent of the amount, while the Department of Public Works and Highways received P413.689 billion and posted a 78.4 percent utilization rate.
As for NCAs released as budgetary support to government-owned and -controlled corporations amounting to P199.195 billion, P197.786 billion was utilized, translating to a 99.3 percent utilization rate.
Moreover, NCAs released for allotment to local government units reached P953.114 billion, of which 99.5 percent or P948.108 billion was utilized.