APPROVED BUDGET — BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim (2nd from left) is joined by BTA Parliament Speaker Ali Pangalian Balindong (2nd from right) as they show copies of the Bangsamoro Appropriations Act which provides 65.6 billion pesos budget for the BARMM operations in 2020.
COTABATO CITY — A fully operating Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) government is likely to happen next year following the approval of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament Friday, November 28 of the region’s 65.6 billion pesos budget for the fiscal year 2020.
BTA-Cabinet Bill No. 31 entitled, “An Act appropriating funds for the operation of the Bangsamoro Government from January 1 to December 31, 2020, and other purposes” was approved by 48 members of the parliament who voted yes, 1 voted for no, while 5 abstained from voting.
Now signed by Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, the Bangsamoro Appropriations Act of 2020 is one of the most significant legislations of the Parliament since it contains priority plans, program and projects of the infant Bangsamoro region.
The chief minister quoted: “Hindi ito para sa akin, hindi para sa mga ministers. (This is not for me. This is not for the ministers) This is for the Bangsamoro people.”Ebrahim stressed the success of this endeavor was the fruit of the more than five decades of struggle of the Bangsamoro.
In an earlier interview, Spokesman Naguib G. Sinarimbo stressed the urgency on the passage of the budget before the year ends to avoid disruption in government operation.
“If we fail to make appointments and comply with the publication requirements of the positions within December, we will have a situation where we will not have a government operating by January 2020, and we don’t want that to happen,” Sinarimbo said.
To date, the Bangsamoro region has 19 ministries and offices sharing for the 2020 budget: the Office of the Chief Minister; Office of the Wali; Bangsamoro Transition Authority; Bangsamoro Human Rights Commission; and the ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform; Basic, Higher and Technical Education; Environment, Natural Resources and Energy; Finance, Budget and Management; Health; Indigenous People’s Affairs; Interior and Local Government; Labor and Employment; Human Settlements and Development; Public Order and Safety; Public Works; Science and Technology; Social Services and Development; Trade, Investment and Tourism; and the Transportation and Communication. (GALao, Communications & Media Unit, BTA Parliament)