The Department of Finance (DOF) and the Bureaus of Customs (BOC) and of Local Government Finance (BLGF) have briefed officials of the Bangsamoro government on their respective structures and functions to assist Mindanao’s new autonomous region on how to organize and effectively run its finance, budget and management ministry.
BLGF Executive Director Niño Alvina and Julito Doria, the chief of staff of BOC Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero, recently presented an overview on how officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) can coordinate with the national government in appointing local treasurers, assessing the performance of local government units (LGUs) and in creating special procedures for customs processing in areas within BARMM’s jurisdiction.
The meeting held recently at the DOF office in Manila, focused on issues raised by BARMM officials on the functions of the autonomous region’s counterpart offices that will function as its BOC, which is under the supervision of BARMM’s finance, budget and management ministry, and the operation of the BLGF and its linkages with the said ministry.
Finance officials also met last Aug. 16 with BARMM officials to brief them on the Department’s setup and functions, its attached bureaus, agencies and corporations.
DOF officials led by Undersecretary Gil Beltran met with officials of the Bangsamoro government to explain the setup and functions of the DOF so that Mindanao’s new autonomous region’s finance, budget and management ministry can consider these in its organizational structure.
According to Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Bayani Agabin, the Aug. 16 briefing was done for officials of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Management (MFBM) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to help them determine which aspects of the DOF’s setup and functions they can adopt and “want assistance for capacity-building.”
The briefing was part of the meeting of the technical working group (TWG) composed of DOF officials and representatives of the BARMM. This TWG was formed to assist the BARMM in setting up its government, particularly in handling its fiscal affairs.
Led by Beltran and Agabin, the DOF presented possible organizational setups covering the MFBM’s main office, and separate but attached offices of the Ministry for Treasury, Internal Revenue, Legal Affairs Service, Internal Audit, Finance and Budget.
“Another meeting was hosted by the DOF last Aug. 23 with representatives of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to formulate technical capacity building framework for BARMM officials in the areas of budget process, revenue generation, and management and planning,” Assistant Secretary Teresa Habitan said in her report to Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III during a recent DOF Executive Committee meeting.
She said the next meeting with BARMM officials to be attended by representatives from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will focus discussions on the “taxable elements, taxing power limitations, and the disposition on assets and personnel” of the Mindanao autonomous government.
Dominguez has committed to assist the BARMM government in initially running its economic departments and crafting sound policies to ensure the region’s long-term fiscal stability.
Complying with Dominguez’s instructions, Beltran and Agabin formed a technical working group (TWG) for this purpose. The TWG includes representatives from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), BOC, BIR, BLGF, and the Commission on Audit (COA).
The DOF co-chairs with the BARMM minister of budget, finance and management the Intergovernmental Fiscal Policy Board (IGBF), which is designed to address revenue imbalances and fluctuations in the regional financial needs and revenue-raising capacity of the BARMM government. The other IGBF members are the DBM, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and other BARMM appropriate ministries.
BARMM Finance, Budget and Management Minister Eduard Guerra has thanked Dominguez “for giving (the Bangsamoro government) the opportunity to discuss initially fiscal matters and ways to move forward.”
Besides forming a TWG, Dominguez also directed Beltran to tap the Philippine Tax Academy (PTA) to help educate the new set of government officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on fiscal management, financial planning and budget-related matters.
The BARMM consists of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi- tawi, and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan, and 63 barangays in six North Cotabato towns.
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