Members of the Regional Financial Monitoring Team (RFMT) facilitated a Coordination Meeting to address the Php 277, 059, 278.31 unliquidated balances of the Local Government Units (LGUs) under the Locally Funded Programs (LFPs) of the Department.
Ms. Verna Roz Taperla, DILG XII Financial Analyst III, confirmed that there were 39 Municipal and Provincial LGU accountants with pending balances who attended the said meeting at Paraiso Verde, Koronadal City last February 27, 2020. They have been primarily gathered to reconcile the discrepancies between the Department and LGUs’ financial reports and update the latter’s liquidation rate.
Taperla said that the total unliquidated balances cover the different LFPs (DILG MOA-based projects) and Local Government Support Funds (LGSF) downloaded to the LGUs from 2013 until 2018 for the construction of various infrastructure projects under the BUB, SALINTUBIG, PCF, and ADM/AM programs.
Based on the LFPs and LGSF agreements, LGUs are given 30 days to liquidate and revert their outstanding balances to the DILG XII and the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), respectively, after the completion of the projects. LGUs, on the other hand, are only given one year to complete the said projects.
As of February 26, 2020, the Project Development Management Unit (PDMU) data show that the Municipality of Kabacan, Cotabato holds the biggest amount of unliquidated balances with a total of Php 23 million, followed by the Municipalities of M’lang, Cotabato and President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat with Php 19, 568, 699.48 and Php 20, 442, 928.59, respectively.
Meanwhile, Regional Director Josephine Cabrido-Leysa, CESO III encouraged the LGUs to provide their “best-effort” to achieve a 100% liquidation rate.
During her Welcome Message, Director Leysa also acknowledged the cooperation of LGUs and highlighted the positive impact of the said activity in the improvement of the LGUs’ liquidation reports on DILG-funded projects.
Last November 2019, PDMU XII reported a total of 89% liquidation rate after the Department conducted its first Coordination Meeting with LGU accountants in October 2019, a four percent increase from the previous 85% was recorded in September 2019.
The Department plans to invite representatives from the BTr, LGU engineers, and Municipal Local Government Operations Officers in the next Coordination Meeting to further discuss the LGUs’ specific concerns.
Related article: http://region12.dilg.gov.ph/news-releases/post%E2%80%93coordination-meeting-shows-higher-liquidation-rate-lgus-rfmt
