The national government’s infrastructure spending recorded a double-digit hike in the first half of the year, budget secretary Amenah Pangandaman said.
Pangandaman, at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday, said infrastructure spending reached P720.5 billion in January to June of this year.
This is up by P111.9 billion or 18.4 percent versus the P608.6 billion spent during the same time a year ago.
Pangandaman said the government’s infrastructure spending in the first semester is equivalent to 5.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This is in line with the full year target of 5.6 percent of GDP.
“As early as January, we already provided them with their allotments, and most of the Department of Public Works an Highways projects were already undergoing early procurement,” Pangandaman said.
“So, short of the award, by January, they were already implementing most of the projects,” she added.
The budget chief expressed optimism that the government’s infrastructure spending will continue to be ramped up in the remaining half of the year.
Earlier, the Bureau of the Treasury reported that the first semester expenditures reached P2.76 trillion, 0.9 percent up from the previous year’s P2.74 trillion.
It also went up by 14.58 percent against the previous year’s expenses of P2.41 trillion.
In June, government expenditures rose by 2.62 percent to P505.6 billion.
