[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’P3-B capitol budget OK’d’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY TIFFANY ANNE TAN
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
BACOLOD City – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved on third and final reading on Thursday, Dec. 1 the Negros Occidental provincial government’s P3.154-billion annual budget for 2017.
“This is the first time the [Provincial Board] passed the budget early,” said Salvador Escalante, finance committee chair.
Of the total amount, P2,931,912,000 was allocated for the general fund, P71,106,863,000 for the Economic Enterprise Development Department and P1,187,961,823 for the Hospital Operations Department.
Escalante pointed out that the first tranche of the Salary Standardization Law 4 (SSL 4, or wage increase) was included in the budget.
“Next year, we will no longer wait for the year to end,” he said. “If there are savings generated from the operations and personnel services, we will implement the second tranche.”
The budget for the first tranche was P20 billion. The increase will be retroactive, covering June to November.
“We want that by 2019, we have fully implemented the SSL 4,” stressed Escalante.
As of Thursday only four capitol departments and offices have determined and processed their salary differentials. “It’s difficult processing for [around] 2,000 employees,” said the Board member.
As for personnel services, “we cannot yet determine how much the budget [for that is] as we are continuously hiring,” he said./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
