The 18th Congress must pass the national budget bill for 2020 without delay, Rep. Luis Campos Jr. (Makati City) says in a press release Sunday. "When the government sneezes, the economy catches a cold," Campos says, adding: "When the biggest consumer – the national government – is unable to spend dynamically due to a deferred budget, the entire economy suffers." He says Congress could pass the 2020 budget by late November or early December. Passage of the 2019 budget was delayed for months as the House and the Senate wrangled over allocations in the spending bill. It was the first time that the national budget was delayed since the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Source: Philippine Star May 19, 2019 03:01 UTC