Agri budget cut explanation sought
THE GOVERNMENT should explain budget cuts to the agriculture sector’s proposed budget for 2025, a congressman said last week, adding that the House of Representatives should address potential spending issues by the Agriculture department.
The government is allotting P211.3 billion for agriculture next year, 4.7% less than this year’s budget. The bulk of the budget will be used to fund agriculture modernization efforts and cash aid to farmers and fisherfolk, according to a summary from the Budget department.
“In the coming budget deliberations, we will clarify in Congress the deductions and additional funding under the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) budget, and how we could use it to fund essential projects,” Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee told BusinessWorld in a Viber Message in Filipino.
“Among the topics that should be discussed during the budget deliberations is DA’s underspending because an increase in funding is [pointless] if it’s not being used properly,” he added.
The government last week proposed a P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025, 10.1% higher than this year and equivalent to 22.1% of gross domestic product. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio