MANILA — The Senate finance committee on Wednesday terminated, without questions, the hearing on the Commission on Audit’s proposed budget for 2024.
Senate finance committee chair Sen. Sonny Angara said his panel “will favorably endorse” to the Senate plenary COA’s P13.36 billion proposed budget “without prejudice to possible augmentation.”
Of the P13.36 billion under the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2024 allotted to COA, a big chunk or P13.179 billion is intended for personal services including retirement and life insurance premiums amounting to P636 million.
Meanwhile, P690.55 million is for maintenance and other operating expenses and P126.85 million is for capital outlay.
The NEP’s proposed budget for COA is lower by P800 million to COA’s original proposal of P14.166 billion.
More than P500 million would have gone to building and other structures while around P150 million was sliced off the budget for machinery and equipment outlay.
COA officials led by Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba were present during the hearing.