Senate waiting for House to act on FY 2005 budget
The Senate conference committee members are just awaiting their counterparts in the House of Representatives to make the call so they could sit down and discuss the much-awaited passage of the fiscal year 2005 budget.
Senate Committee on Fiscal Affairs chair Joseph Mendiola said the six-member Senate panel has been ready to meet with House members to reconcile the budget bill.
The House earlier approved a $212.7 million for FY05 but the Senate raised it to $217.7 million in view of $5.1 million additional projected revenues submitted by the Babauta administration.
Lately, the administration submitted another $1.5 million additional funding available for FY05.
Administration officials said the $1.5 million would come from increased labor registration fee for nonresident workers and the $5.1 million would be generated from the implementation of two newly enacted laws—the tax amnesty and tax enhancement laws.
This would raise the annual appropriation to nearly $120 million.
Mendiola said the Senate favors placing the additional $1.5 million funding on the Public School System’s budget for FY05, increasing the agency’s total budget to over $38 million. PSS is currently budgeted at $37.2 million.
Meantime, House leadership spokesman Charles Reyes Jr. said that Vice Speaker Timothy Villagomez, who was earlier appointed as chair of the House conference committee, was taken off from the list so he could attend to other priorities. Majority Floor leader Rep. Oscar Babauta will instead take his place.
Other members include House Ways and Means committee chair Norman S. Palacios, Education Committee chair Justo S. Quitugua, Health and Welfare Committee chair Crispin Ogo, minority leader Arnold Palacios and Jesus Attao.
The Senate panel is composed of senators Mendiola, Henry H. San Nicolas, Luis P. Crisostimo, Thomas P. Villagomez, Diego M. Songao, and Paul A. Manglona.
Mendiola said yesterday he was not aware about Villagomez replacement.
“I wrote a letter to Rep. Villagomez yesterday telling him we’re ready to go into conference. We are ready to discuss the budget. It’s our highest priority,” said Mendiola in an interview.
