COTABATO CITY – In preparation for the BARMM’s budget for fiscal year 2023, the Ministry of Finance, and Budget and Management (MFBM) held Monday, April 4, a budget forum at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex (SKCC) in the Bangsamoro Government Center here.
Representatives from all of BARMM’s regional ministries and offices, key members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) attended the forum.
According to MFBM Deputy Minister Amilbahar Amilasan Jr., key discussion evolved around “the guidelines on the preparation of FY 2023 budget proposals of the ministries and offices, as well as the indicative Bangsamoro budget calendar.”
MFBM Minister Atty. Ubaida Pacasem presented the salient points of Bangsamoro Budget Call FY 2023 while Director Atty. Rahma Sanglitan discussed the indicative budget calendar. Other resource persons discussed the requirements on infrastructure related proposals, environment compliance, and gender and development (GAD) related proposals, among others.
Bangsamoro Treasurer Naila Dimaraw concluded the forum by stressing that “budget proposals to be submitted must be inclusive and responsive to the needs of the Bangsamoro people.”
Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim highly commended the stewardship of Minister Pacasem and the entire MBFM for spearheading the event.
“I am reminding everyone that three years ago, the transition body made their oath to introduce Moral Governance in this new bureaucracy, at the heart of that vision is transparency and responsive fiscal management that adheres to the needs of the everyday Bangsamoro,” Chief Minister said.
Ebrahim also stressed that in proposing the budget, every cent should count.
Meanwhile, Bangsamoro Grand Mufti Abu Hurairah Udasan related the verse from the Glorious Qur’an on some features of Moral Governance in the preparation and utilization of budget.
” ‘Wa innaka La ‘ala khuluqin Azeem’ Chapter Al-Qalam: Verse 4 which is translated as, ‘Verily you (Muhammad S.A.W.) are on an exalted (standard of) character such that the word Khalaq means the practice of virtues, morality, and right manners in Islam’,” Grand Mufti said.
“In every walks of our life, we should be guided by the principles of moral behavior that is completely devoid of graft, corruption, and bribery,” he added. (Kasan M. Usop, Jr./BIO)
