H1 Infra Spending Exceeded Target

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the government's infrastructure spending in the first six months of the year exceeded its program, providing a much-needed boost to its sluggish expenditure.

Photo Insert: The DBM attributed this higher-than-programmed spending to the accelerated implementation of various infrastructure projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) nationwide. I Photo: CCLEX

Infrastructure and other capital outlays reached P507.2 billion from January to June, exceeding the target of P483.1 billion by five percent and reflecting a 7.8% increase compared to P470.5 billion in the same period last year.

The DBM attributed this higher-than-programmed spending to the accelerated implementation of various infrastructure projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) nationwide; the direct payments from development partners for the execution of foreign-assisted rail transport projects by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) contributed to the increased expenditures.

“These offset the lower-than-expected capital outlay disbursements recorded in the DND [Department of National Defense] and DOTr mainly due to the ongoing implementation and procurement of their respective projects,” DBM said, noting that the DOTr continued to encounter challenges in acquiring right-of-way.

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