Tag: PITC

Statements, Videos

Ping: P8.523-B ‘Unliquidated’ na Pondo ng Army, Nasa PITC

Tinatayang aabot sa P8.523 bilyong “unliquidated” na pondo ng Philippine Army ang nasa Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC), pagsisiwalat ni Senador Ping Lacson nitong Martes.

Base sa 2020 Commission on Audit report, nakatanggap ang PITC ng P15.927 bilyon galing sa Philippine Army mula 2007 hanggang 2020, at may kabuuang unliquidated balances na nagkakahalaga ng P8.523 bilyon.

“Every year, nag-scrounge tayo sa pondo para sa modernization, pati revised modernization program ng AFP, ang sabi natin cause for delay ang funding gaps kasi di napopondohan. Yet we find out from the COA report may unliquidated balances of P8.5 billion just for the Philippine Army,” ani Lacson sa kanyang interpelasyon sa badyet ng Department of National Defense para sa taong 2022.

Related: Lacson: PITC Has P8.523-B in Unliquidated Army Funds
Continue reading “Ping: P8.523-B ‘Unliquidated’ na Pondo ng Army, Nasa PITC” →

Statements, Videos

Lacson: PITC Has P8.523-B in Unliquidated Army Funds

At least P8.523 billion in funds of the Philippine Army remains unliquidated or unaccounted for with the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC), Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson disclosed Tuesday.

Lacson cited figures from the 2020 Commission on Audit report that showed the PITC received some P15.927 billion from 2007 to 2020 from the Philippine Army alone, with total unliquidated balances in the amount of P8.523 billion.

“Every year, nag-scrounge tayo sa pondo para sa modernization, pati revised modernization program ng AFP, ang sabi natin cause for delay ang funding gaps kasi di napopondohan. Yet we find out from the COA report may unliquidated balances of P8.5 billion just for the Philippine Army (Every year, we scrounge for funds for the AFP’s modernization, even for the AFP’s revised modernization program. The cause of delay was due to the funding gaps. Yet we find out from the COA report that there are unliquidated balances of P8.5 billion, just for the Philippine Army),” he said at his interpellation of the Department of National Defense’s budget for 2022.

Related: Ping: P8.523-B ‘Unliquidated’ na Pondo ng Army, Nasa PITC
Continue reading “Lacson: PITC Has P8.523-B in Unliquidated Army Funds” →

Statements

‘Napagiiwanan’ na PITC, Bubusisiin ng Senado

Upang matiyak na hindi ito nakikidoble sa ibang ahensiya, kailangang mapag-aralan ang mga umiiral na tungkulin ng Philippine International Trading Center (PITC).

Binigyang-diin ito ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa harap ng usapin na mistulang napipigilan nito ang pag-realign ng pondo para sa mahahalagang proyekto.

“The issue is this: If the agencies procure items via their own Bids and Awards Committees or the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service, the funds that are not used can be converted into savings. The President, Senate President, House Speaker and Chief Justice are allowed by the Constitution to realign these to other items within their respective offices. But funds with the PITC become idle and are returned to the Treasury,” pagsisiwalat ni Lacson sa panayam ng ABS-CBN News Channel.

“So development is stunted in some ways because funds that should have been available are returned to the Treasury and cannot be realigned for other needs,” dagdag ni Lacson.

Related: Lacson Stresses Need to Revisit Functions of ‘Redundant’ PITC
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Statements

Lacson Stresses Need to Revisit Functions of ‘Redundant’ PITC

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on Wednesday stressed the need to revisit the functions of the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC), which is turning out to be a redundant agency.

Lacson said the PITC can potentially stunt national development since the funds “entrusted” to it for procurement cannot be used and realigned for urgent programs.

“The issue is this: If the agencies procure items via their own Bids and Awards Committees or the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service, the funds that are not used can be converted into savings. The President, Senate President, House Speaker and Chief Justice are allowed by the Constitution to realign these to other items within their respective offices. But funds with the PITC become idle and are returned to the Treasury,” he said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.

“So development is stunted in some ways because funds that should have been available are returned to the Treasury and cannot be realigned for other needs,” he added.

Related: ‘Napagiiwanan’ na PITC, Bubusisiin ng Senado
Continue reading “Lacson Stresses Need to Revisit Functions of ‘Redundant’ PITC” →

Statements

On the Philippine International Trading Corp. as a Procurement Arm

Utilizing the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) for the procurement requirements of several national government agencies may have to be revisited and stopped, not only to save on unnecessary expenses amounting to billions of pesos in delays and commissions or service fees.

Since the creation of the Government Procurement Service under the Department of Budget and Management, the PITC may have outlived its purpose. Initially, it was only used to circumvent the procurement of medicines, especially for emergency needs. But later, it has expanded into the procurement of other items like rice.

That said, it is only prudent that the government at least take a long hard look at the involvement of the PITC in the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines.

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