Gov't infra spending scaled up to P121 B

The government increased its infrastructure spending by nearly seven percent to P121 billion from January to February compared to last year's level on the back of higher disbursements for road projects, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said.

- LOUISE MAUREEN SIMEON

Based on the latest national government disbursement performance report of the DBM, state infrastructure expenditure and other capital outlays climbed by 6.7 percent to P120.5 billion in the first two months from P113 billion in the same period last year.

The DBM attributed the infrastructure spending performance for the two-month period to the higher disbursements recorded by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of National Defense (DND).

In particular, the DPWH paid the mobilization fees and advances to contractors, expedited the implementation and completion of carryover projects and fast-tracked the processing and payment of accounts payable. The DND, for its part, ramped up its defense modernization projects.