The president said that this is the first time in the past budget years that action was immediately taken on the measure.
The OEK passed the budget on Thursday afternoon and was sent to the president’s office at 5 p.m. The next day (Friday) , the measure was signed into law by the president at 3:30 p.m.“I am very pleased with your effort and that of your colleague in considering and passing this bill in such timely manner. As I only received this bill yesterday, my quick review and action on its intended as a compliment to yours. I am particularly pleased that the Olbiil Era Kelulau so closely hewed to my original budget requests,” Toribiong said in his transmittal letter to the OEK leaders.He said because of the timely passage of the bill it will permit his administration to”focus on the business of running the government, a task that I expect to be extremely challenging in the near future given the present state of our economy.”The measure was closer to President Toribiong’s version of the budget, the budget authorizes $56.5 million and appropriates the amount of $53.709 million.Government spending will be reduced to at least 10 percent to ensure that the country will be living within its means in lieu of the economic crisis.The president in his letter said that although he is generally happy with the outcome of the budget deliberations, still the lawmakers did not take up matters that he has requested to be included in the bill.He however is hopeful that the lawmakers will take up the matter in the near future.His concern in the bill was the deletion of the proposed appropriation to provide assistance to low income families.He cited that $46,000 was appropriated in RPPL No. 8-2 to pay for a household income families in the country.He said that the current state of the economy saw the need for assistance to low income Palauan families.“The present state of our economy has resulted in the loss of many jobs and resultant loss of our income,’ the president said.As a result of the economy crisis, many people have been unemployed and struggling to pay for their most basic needs and need help.“Not to address this pressing matter would send the wrong message and be inconsistent with the prior commitment the Olbiil Era Kelulau made to do so,” the president said.The OEK version removed appropriations for the low income household assistance, the amount is supposed to be $1,500,000.The president also raised concern over the inaction of the lawmakers to the rider regarding the mandatory retirement.He said he hopes that the OEK will act on the matter in a separate measure. Toribiong said he is set to act on the budget by the time he leaves for the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 19. The lawmakers also rejected any appropriation or authorization to a request for an increase of salaries of government officials .The president said he does not oppose the deletion but only proposed the increase due to uniformity of salaries among government officials.
