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Viewing cable 08MANILA549, PHILIPPINES - 2008 FISCAL TRANSPARENCY UPDATE

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08MANILA549 2008-03-05 01:41 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Manila
VZCZCXRO5290
OO RUEHCHI RUEHFK RUEHHM RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHPB
DE RUEHML #0549/01 0650141
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 050141Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9986
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHZU/ASIAN PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//FPA//
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 000549 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EEB/IFD/OMA Andrew Snow and Richard Figueroa 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID FOR AA/ANE, AA/EGAT, DAA/ANE 
STATE ALSO PASS EXIM, OPIC, AND USTR 
TREASURY FOR OASIA 
USDOC FOR 4430/ITA/MAC/ASIA & PAC/KOREA & SE ASIA/ASEAN 
 
E.O.  12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID PGOV RP
SUBJECT: PHILIPPINES - 2008 FISCAL TRANSPARENCY UPDATE 
 
Ref: State 16737 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified 
 
1.  (U) In response to reftel request, following is an updated 
narrative on fiscal transparency for the Philippines. 
 
2.  (SBU) Begin text: 
 
The current legal and regulatory framework for fiscal transparency 
and accountability is generally adequate although inconsistently 
applied, especially at the sub-national levels of government. 
National government budget data is available in a timely manner and 
in significant detail during the planning stage but transparency 
during budget execution and monitoring of project performance is 
still lacking.  Compliance with transparency requirements regarding 
lump sum budget allocations (such as congressional funds and 
legally-mandated national government transfers to local government 
units) is weak and inconsistent.  The International Monetary Fund 
reports on Philippine observance of fiscal transparency standards 
are available on its website. 
 
Relevant laws and regulations governing the public disclosure of 
revenues and expenditures in national budgets are: 
 
--  The Philippine Constitution:  Subject to reasonable conditions 
prescribed by law, Article II, Sec. 28 requires public disclosure of 
all transactions involving the public interest.  Article III, Sec. 7 
recognizes the people's right to information on matters of public 
concern and their right to access official records, documents 
pertaining to official acts, transactions and decisions, as well as 
government research data.  Article VII, Sec. 22 of the Constitution, 
as well as Executive Book VI, Chap. 3, Sec. 11 of Executive Order 
292 (the Administrative Code), requires the President of the 
Philippines to submit to the Philippine Congress, within thirty days 
from the opening of every regular session, a detailed Budget of 
Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF).  The BESF is published 
in book form and is accessible through the Department of Budget and 
Management web site (www.dbm.gov.ph) in accordance with the 
constitutional provisions on public disclosure and access to 
information. 
 
--  The Administrative Code (Book II, Chap.5, Sec. 18):  Unless 
otherwise specified, a law shall take effect 15 days after 
publication in the Official Gazette or in a paper of general 
circulation.  In accordance with this provision, the national budget 
bill approved by the Philippine Congress and subsequently signed 
into law by the President of the Philippines is published as a 
special edition of the Official Gazette. 
 
--  Presidential Decree 1445 (Government Auditing Code, Sec. 41): 
Not later than September 30 annually, the Commission on Audit must 
submit to the President and to the Philippine Congress an annual 
report on the financial condition and the results of operation of 
all government agencies (national government, local governments, and 
government-owned and controlled corporations).  The annual reports 
are available in book form and are accessible through the Commission 
on Audit web sire (www.coa.gov.ph) in accordance with the 
constitutional provisions on public disclosure and access to 
information. 
 
The BESF also summarizes the national government's proposed budget 
by sector and by expenditure class, as well as outlines the national 
government's fiscal program (revenues, expenditures, and deficit). 
Budgetary support (subsidy, equity, lending) to government firms and 
transfers to local government units are specified in the national 
budget. 
 
The Department of Finance (www.dof.gov.ph) and its attached agency, 
the Bureau of the Treasury (www.treasury.gov.ph), report the 
National Government's revenues, expenditures, and deficit monthly 
(with a three-week lag) through press releases and also post the 
information on their websites.  Assessments regarding fiscal targets 
are released on a quarterly basis.  Although generally reliable, 
these in-year cash operation reports lack detail, making it 
difficult to monitor and assess whether expenditure goals and 
priorities set forth in the approved national budget are being met 
during budget implementation.  Lack of capacity, inconsistent 
political will, and vested interests have combined to limit the 
degree to which budget data is transparent, timely, and widely 
available, particularly during budget execution.  In-year reports to 
summarize and monitor the financial/fiscal performance of 
 
MANILA 00000549  002 OF 002 
 
 
sub-national government units are not always publicly available and 
sub-national agencies generally suffer from weak internal audit and 
financial controls. 
 
National government debt statistics on contingent liabilities are 
limited to loans incurred by government-owned and controlled 
enterprises that the national government guarantees.  The 
information does not reflect the potential fiscal risks posed by 
contingent liabilities arising from performance undertakings under 
various Build-Operate-Transfer contracts, although new rules limit 
the extent to which the government can guarantee obligations made 
under these arrangements. 
 
The Philippine government has initiated, and is working to 
implement, a number of important measures to improve fiscal 
transparency, expenditure management, and accountability.  These 
include the development of a multi-year, performance-based budgeting 
framework (Organizational Performance Indicators Framework); a 
Sectoral Effectiveness and Efficiency Review for program evaluation; 
and an IT-based budget execution and accountability system.  Given 
the substantial share of national government revenues allotted to 
local government units under the Local Government Code, the 
Government is also working to improve the financial database for 
local governments to better measure their performance.  To 
strengthen coordination, improve efficiency, and promote consistency 
with development goals, local and national government oversight 
agencies (i.e., the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and 
Management, the National Economic and Development Authority, and the 
Department of Interior and Local Government) signed a joint 
memorandum circular in March 2007 towards harmonizing procedures for 
local planning, investment programming, revenue administration, and 
budgeting. 
 
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroy signed the Government Procurement 
Reform Act in January 2003 to rationalize and standardize a myriad 
of confusing procurement laws and regulations and to stem 
significant procurement-related losses.  The privatization framework 
(including Build-Operate-Transfer arrangements and related schemes) 
is also set out in considerable detail in legislation and 
implementing rules and regulations.  However, controversies surround 
a number of privatization deals and businesses continue to raise 
concerns about irregularities in government procurement, indicating 
gaps between laws/regulations and their implementation and 
enforcement. 
 
Recent and/or ongoing U.S. government-assisted programs that promote 
accurate disclosure of revenues and expenditures in the national 
budgets of the Philippines include: 
 
--  Working with civil society groups to promote transparency in 
government by launching a website to provide the public and the 
media information on the national budget and to enable monitoring of 
budget formulation and the expenditure process. 
 
--  Training for government procurement officials on the 
implementation of the Government Procurement Reform Act. 
 
--  Assisting in revenue enhancement and reorganization of the 
internal revenue agency, focusing on developing benchmarks to track 
and monitor tax payments. 
 
--  Training local government units on public resource management 
and on administrative review, and audit procedures, as well as 
supporting the Local Government Guaranty Corporation in implementing 
an internal credit screening and rating system specializing in 
credit and management evaluation. 
 
The Australian Agency for International Development, the World Bank, 
and the Asian Development Bank also have assisted efforts on 
improving transparency, working with the Department of Budget and 
Management of the Philippines and other development partners. 
 
End text. 
 
Kenney