TINIYAK ng National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) na hindi maaapektuhan ng Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) ang national budget ng bansa para sa susunod na taon.
Inihayag ni NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan na ang pondo na ilalagak sa MIF ay ‘idle funds’ o badyet na hindi ginagamit ng Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) at Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
Kaya giit ni Balisacan, hindi makaaapekto ang MIF sa pambansang badyet para sa 2024.
“No, to begin with, the total budget is going 5.3 trillion pesos, we are talking only about 125 billion, but even that is not part of the budget. These are funds that are not, you know, used either in Land Bank and DBP and also remittance of the Central Bank or BSP to the national government ‘no. So, relatively, it should not have affected the national budget,” ayon kay Sec. Arsenio Balisacan, NEDA.
Kaugnay rito, tiniyak ng pamahalaan na hindi kukuha ng pondo ang MIF mula sa pensiyon at ipon ng publiko.
Ito’y dahil ipinagbabawal na mag-ambag sa MIF ang mga pension at social funds tulad ng PhilHealth, Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS).
Bagkus, gagamitin para sa MIF ang pera mula sa government financial institutions, katulad ng LBP at DBP.
Idinagdag naman ni Balisacan na makatutulong ang MIF upang makakuha ng mas malaking pondo para sa gastusin ng gobyerno sa mga proyekto.
Sa pamamagitan ng MIF, mapabibilis aniya ang implementasyon ng aprubadong 194 flagship infrastructure projects.
“Well, there are many of those projects that are quite viable, financially attractive for Maharlika. For example, we mentioned these airports ‘no, those are very productive, profitable projects, and that’s why we expect a number of bidders to come in. But railways, expressways, especially maintenance and operation of such projects could be also attractive,” dagdag ni Balisacan.
Sa kabilang dako, nagbigay ng katiyakan ang NEDA chief na hindi gagawa ng mas maraming utang ang Pilipinas dahil sa MIF.
“It’s not meant to add to the debt but rather to allow us to have other sources of fund so that in fact, you can reduce your reliance to debt,” ani Balisacan.
