Gov't cuts spending on infra for 4th month

The national government's infrastructure spending fell for the fourth consecutive month in October as concerns over reports of corruption in flood control projects continued to weigh on disbursements.

- By MARCO LUIS BEECH

Infrastructure spending in October amounted to P65.9 billion, down by 40 percent from last year's P110 billion, based on data from the Department of Budget and Management.

The DBM said the decline was due to the non-submission of billings by contractors, as authorities continue to conduct validation procedures to determine the actual status of implementation and completion of flood control projects.

"Delays in the renewal of contractors' Philippine Contractors Association Board licenses affected the submission of progress billings by contractors and subsequent processing of payments," the DBM said.