IRA shortfall of Iligan City in the proposed 2023 national budget would deal a hard blow to Iligan and other local governments.
The Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) in the proposed 2023 national budget of Iligan City would fall by P350 million which is a major shortfall to be avoided.
The 2022 IRA allocation of Iligan city is around P2.419 billion. But for 2023, the IRA is P350 million lower as the proposed budget of Iligan City is P2.068 billion.
If that P350 million IRA drop is not rectified, it will be a significant setback to the city's efforts in recovering from the pandemic. The city would be forced to make budget cuts that it would not prefer to make due to the grave ramifications for Iliganons' access to public services, said Iligan City Mayor Frederick Siao, formerly its lone district representative.
On a nationwide scale, the gap between the 2022 IRA and the estimated IRA for 2023 is approximately P135 billion. This IRA drop would primarily harm 3rd to 6th class municipalities in the poorest provinces.
Siao appealed to Speaker Martin Romualdez, Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Elizaldy Co, and Ways and Means Chairman Joey Salceda to seek inventive and innovative workaround solutions with their best efforts in order to maintain the IRA allocations in the 2022 GAA.
However, if maintaining the 2022 IRA levels is not feasible, a more practical approach would be able to cushion the blow. Instead of a whole P135 billion plunge in the national IRA total, perhaps a P70 billion shortfall can be worked out, reducing the anticipated IRA plummet by little more than half.
Siao will be consulting with his fellow mayors in the League of Cities and with other neighboring mayors around Iligan City in order to come up with more solutions to this IRA situation and other specific items in the proposed 2023 national budget that concerns them.
“Here in Iligan City, we will prepare for contingencies and shore up some savings. We are explaining the situation to and getting inputs from the heads of departments and of local field offices of the national agencies here in the city.” Siao said.
Tags: #IRA, #IliganCity, #NationalBudget