A congressional think tank has identified 205 laws that have remained unfunded.
The Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) cited reports from the Department of Budget and Management which stated that 163 of the 205 laws remained unfunded, while the rest were partially unfunded,
It said 159 laws had no specified funding requirement, while the remaining 46 required P915.4 billion to be operational.
Among the unfunded laws was an act that seeks to reduce electricity rates, while another involves military modernization.
“Some of the reasons why laws are not enforced are lack of resources, low priority given by implementing line agencies, no costing estimates or indicated funding requirements, and absence of implementing rules and regulations,” the CPBRD noted.
It added that the laws could have been funded, given the low budget utilization rates in other agencies.
“Unused appropriations not only deprive the people of enjoying the benefits from completed projects, but it also parks funds which could have otherwise been utilized for other productive purposes,” the CPBRD said.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Works and Highways was tagged as one of the agencies the CPBRD identified for low budget utilization.
“Although the obligation rates of the departments are generally high, disbursement rates (computed as a ratio to total available appropriations) are low, indicating delays and non-completion of projects,” the think tank said.
“Disbursement rate of the DPWH in 2022 is highest at 61.2 percent, which is a marked improved from the previous years with the lowest (28.6 percent) posted in 2020,” it added.
The CPBRD noted that the proposed 2024 budget allocates P1.42 trillion for infrastructure development.