Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Captain Of Success
Top Stories

Stock Markets

Infrastructure spending expected to accelerate after election pause

Infrastructure spending expected to accelerate after election pause – BusinessWorld Online


      
      
      
      
      








CONSTRUCTION WORKERS continue work on the Skyway project at the corner of Quirino Avenue and Osmeña Highway in Manila. — PHILIPPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

INFRASTRUCTURE spending is expected to pick up in the third quarter after a pause during the run-up to the May elections, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.

“We expect that to pick up in the third quarter,” Finance Undersecretary and Chief Economist Domini S. Velasquez said on the sidelines of an event on Thursday.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) reported that spending on infrastructure and other capital outlays declined 9.2% to P123.8 billion in May.

In the first five months, spending fell 0.6% to P417.5 billion.

“The lower outturn was mainly attributed to the lagged effects of the election-related prohibition on public spending that in turn affected the disbursement performance of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for its road infrastructure programs,” the DBM said in its disbursement report.

The Commission on Elections’ 45-day ban on public works spending started on March 28 and ended with the May 12 elections.

Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman has said that disbursements are expected to pick up in late May.

Meanwhile, Nigel Paul C. Villarete, senior adviser on public-private partnerships at the technical advisory group Libra Konsult, Inc., said a spending slowdown due to adverse weather is a “regular occurrence” and accounted for each year.

The government weather service, known as PAGASA, is forecasting up to 16 cyclones between August and December.

“However, we should not look at these negatively as these are regular and expected outcomes of our electoral processes and the occurrence thereof were already included and incorporated in the program and project planning of the various agencies of our government,” Mr. Villarete said via Viber.

The government has set a target for public infrastructure spending of 5%-6% of gross domestic product.

According to the Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing, the government is hoping to spend P1.54 trillion on infrastructure in 2025. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

CEDTyClea





    You May Also Like

    Finance

    Shadow Scottish secretary Andrew Bowie has called for an urgent policy review on North Sea oil and gas, following comments by former US President...

    Finance

    It’s 3pm on a Friday. If you’re working from home, there’s a growing chance you’ve already shut your laptop, set your Teams status to...

    Finance

    Microsoft has become the second publicly traded company in history to reach a $4 trillion market valuation, propelled by booming demand for artificial intelligence...

    Stock Markets

    BW FILE PHOTO By Revin Mikhael D. Ochave, Reporter LISTED DigiPlus Interactive Corp. said the government could generate an additional P200 billion to P300...

    Disclaimer: CaptainOfSuccess.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice.
    The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.