One Down, Many To Go
The government will be working on a reenacted budget while the bicameral conference committee is still reconciling the two versions of the 2008 budget. The General Appropriations bill was one of the eleven measures committed to be passed before the Christmas break in the last Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting.
So far, the only measure that has seen light is the bill extending the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF). This was passed by Congress on the day the session was adjourned. The bill is now ready for the President’s approval.
The measure is an amendment to RA 8178, Agricultural Tariffication Act, which primarily subjects agricultural products (except for rice) to quantitative restrictions with tariff. It also created the ACEF consisting of all tariffs collected from the importation of agricultural products under the Minimum Access Volumes (MAVs). The proceeds shall be earmarked for irrigation, farm-to-market roads, post harvest equipment and facilities, credit, research and development, marketing infrastructure, market information, retraining, extension services, and other forms of support to the agricultural sector.
Since the original law provides for the effectivity of the fund for nine years, it should have expired in 2005. The money collected from 1996 to 1998 was found to have been utilized for budgetary support so the expiration was extended until 2007. Once expired, the fund will be reverted back to the general fund. In order to enable the agricultural sector to strengthen their development activities and to enhance their competitiveness, utilization period of the ACEF is extended to 2015. A provision was also made to allow the continued use of the fund for agricultural competitiveness even if the collections from MAV stop flowing into the ACEF by 2015.
On other priority legislation, there are measures waiting for the bicameral conference once the session resumes on 28 January. However, this may not guarantee immediate enactment of the bills since legislators may have difficulty coming up with consolidated versions.
The other bills that were approved in both Houses include:
1. Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (HB 1754/SB 1646)
2. Affordable Quality Medicines (HB 2844/SB 1658)
3. Strenghtening the University of the Philippines Charter (HB 2845/SB 1964)
The House bill creating the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is also next in line, however it may have to wait before the Senate passes its version now on third reading. |
