Palace hopes Congress will pass 2021 budget soon

December 9, 2020

A Malacanang official on Wednesday hoped the Congress will pass the 2021 national budget this month as it will be a great help in the government’s fight against COVID-19 and to the recovery of the economy.

“We are hoping that the Congress will pass the 2021 budget because we are expecting a big stimulus package once it is implemented,” Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said in a virtual presser.

“Once the 2021 budget is passed, with no delay and no re-enacted budget , a big part of it will not only be for our fight against COVID-19 but also to boost growth.

Nograles said the lawmakers have no problem in passing the budget.

“Priority is to pass the 2021 budget and I hope that Congress will be able to do that… I’m sure the Congress will be able to do that because there is no problem in the 2021 budget,” he said.

“Usually the signing of the budget would be somewhere before December 25 and I think that will also boost the confidence of investors, the private sector and the consuming public because once the 2021 budget is passed it means job, job, job to the people,” he added.

The bicameral conference committee passed the 2021 national budget of P4.5 trillion on Wednesday.

The bicam report was signed by Angara, chairman of the Senate appropriations committee, and ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Eric Yap, head of the House appropriations panel.

Angara, chairman of the Senate appropriations committee,  said in approving the proposed budget they paid attention to prompt response on the COVID-19 pandemic and to those affected by recent typhoons. Ella Dionisio/DMS