No bank loans for
LGUs without good housekeeping seal - DILG
By MYLES JOSEPH E.
COLASITO
August 5, 2012
TACLOBAN CITY –
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) today
hailed new rules that allows only local governments that have been
conferred with its Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) to secure a loan
from banks and other financial institutions.
DILG-8 Regional Director
Pedro A. Noval Jr. said that as a result of talks between DILG
Secretary Jesse Robredo and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, the
Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) issued Finance Circular
1-2012 on April 16, 2012 listing down SGH as one of the stringent
requisites for LGUs applying for authority to borrow money from banks
and other financial institutions.
“We are glad that SGH is now
being recognized by other national government agencies and other
concerned sectors as an effective way to determine whether an LGU has
good financial management; is ready to secure loans; and pay for
them,” Dir. Noval said. He believes that this will further encourage
LGUs to observe transparency and accountability.
The SGH is being conferred
to local government units (LGUs) that have no adverse report from the
Commission on Audit, and complied with the posting of the required 12
financial documents. SGH awardees are also eligible to receive an
incentive fund ranging from P1 million to P7 million for their local
development projects.
Just recently, the DILG
launched the SGH Bronze, Silver and Gold wherein aside from the two
previous requirements, additional requisites include compliance with
the Government Procurement Act and the Anti-Red Tape Act, a
comprehensive development plan, and an above benchmark performance in
the local governance performance management system.
Secretary Robredo in a
statement said that with the inclusion of SGH as an additional
requirement for borrowing LGUs, “good local governance is fast
becoming the norm and is the way to go for local governments.”
“Now, only those LGUs with
the Seal and who walk the Daang Matuwid will be able to borrow money
from banks to finance their local projects,” the DILG Secretary said.
The BLGF circular laid out
new documentary requirements, which LGUs need to submit to BLGF before
they can be granted Certificates of Borrowing and Debt Service
Capacities should they need to borrow money.
The BLGF circular superseded
Local Finance Circular 1-2000 issued on January 19, 2000. Under the
new circular, aside from the Seal of Good Housekeeping, the following
documents were added to the original requirements: letter-request from
the local chief executive; certification from the local legislative
body that the proposed project to be financed by the loan is included
in the Approved Annual Investment Plan for the current year;
authenticated copy of the resolution authorizing the local chief
executive to negotiate and contract a loan; proof of compliance with
the full disclosure policy of the DILG, among others.
In Eastern Visayas, DILG has
identified at least 118 LGUs which may be eligible to be conferred the
SGH by DILG Central Office this year, up from the 35 LGUs which were
granted the award last 2011.