By Dr. Jaime Jimenez
In a pandemic, the prevention of a wider spread of a virus and economic recovery are the essentials of the day. Among other things, budgeting during a pandemic needs to focus on three things: response measures, social protection, and economic stimulus.
The theme of the 2021 General Appropriations Act (GAA), signed and approved on Dec. 28, 2020, is “Reset, Rebound and Recover: Investing for Resiliency and Sustainability.”
With this theme, building health and economic resilience, specifically the “Build, Build, Build” program, agriculture, the food value chain, and other new normal priorities will be given due importance by reprioritizing the 2021 and 2022 national budgets, according to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA).