Attao says they asked Finance to re-crunch numbers

Blas Jonathan T. Attao

House Speaker Blas Jonathan T. Attao said yesterday that they asked the Department of Finance to revisit the budget for fiscal year 2020 and provide lawmakers with clearer numbers.

Attao said they met with Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig and that Torres-Palacios administration is proposing a 28.3% budget cut.

“So we are waiting for their numbers, the clearer picture of the actual effects,” Attao said.

Atalig earlier informed Gov. Ralph DLG Torres last Thursday that the cancellation of flights from China has prompted them to revise the annual revenue estimates for the fiscal year, from an initial projected decrease in gross revenues of $39.20 million to $48.38 million.

Atalig disclosed that gross revenue estimate for the current fiscal year is now expected at $184,834,810, which is a decrease of $48,387,717 from the $233,222,527 appropriated under the budget law, Public Law 21-08.

When asked about the administration’s revision numbers, Attao said that that was one of the things they asked Atalig and the administration for clarity, saying that a review of the communication from Torres turned up an additional subtraction that made the shortfall balloon.

“So we want to make sure that they address that so we can revisit the numbers [and] maybe a percentage would drop down,” said Attao.

Attao said they called Atalig to a meeting on Monday because they want to understand the allotments breakdown that they got that day.

“We’re concerned because if that’s the way the cut is being broken down, it almost looks like a 59% cut across the board,” he said.

The speaker said they want to address that and refer back to Torres’ communication that came from Atalig as to what the number really was.

He pointed out that the Legislature was the first one to act on last year’s austerity measures.

He said that when the allotments came in in March or April last year, or prior to the administration even implementing the austerity measures, the allotments had already been cut so they had to adjust all of their staff.

“And for some of us, we actually we had to release some staff because of the allotments,” he said.

Attao said the Legislature’s allotment is all under operation costs. In the Executive Branch, there’s operation and there is personnel costs, whereas there is only one account for the Legislature, for each member.

“So everything is under operational expense,” he said.