Newly-designated Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance Senator Sonny Angara said his panel’s scrutiny of the proposed 2020 national budget will be “thorough, transparent, truthful and we will pass it on time.”

Angara said the goal is to have the proposed 2020 budget, which is expected to be sent over by Malacañang to both houses of Congress in the next few weeks, on the desk of the President for signing before the end of the year.

Just like what has been done in previous congresses, Angara said that the vice chairpersons of the committee will be tasked to handle the budgets of the different agencies in order “to expedite the hearings.”

The P3.7 trillion national budget for 2019 was signed by the President only last April due to delays in its approval by Congress.

This led to several delays in the implementation of various key projects of the government, something which Angara said should not happen again for the 2020 national budget.

“We owe it to the people to pass the budget on time. Any delay in the implementation of public programs and the delivery of services is a disservice to them,” Angara said.

Angara said he would work closely with the executive branch with regard to the administration’s priorities and find ways to fund them.

Among the key areas that Angara said he would like to focus on are education, health, infrastructure and rural development.

“Marami na tayo nasimulan na magaganda na programa tulad ng Free Tuition Law at ang Universal Health Care Law. Marami na ang nakikinabang sa mga batas na ito kaya nararapat lang na isulong natin ang iba pang mga programa upang matulungan ang pamilyang Pilipino, lalo na ang mahihirap,” Angara said.

“We must build on these gains and make sure that the taxpayers are getting the service they deserve. We will go over the 2020 budget thoroughly and so that nothing goes to waste,” he added.

He said the budget hearings would be transparent “because the people have the right to know where their taxes go.”