DoTr flagged for unused SCP fund

By Rio N. Araja

THE Commission on Audit has called the attention of the Department of Transportation for an unused P1.42 billion out of the P16.97-billion budget for the service contracting program (SCP) in 2022.

In an audit report, state auditors said P1,426,466,534.86, or 8.41 percent, of the total fund allocation for the SCP, was not used.

At least P619,709,794.77 or 3.99 percent of the total obligations of P15,543,533,465.14 remained unpaid to SCP participants as of Dec. 31 last year.

COA cited overpayments to participants worth P21,872,365.50 had not yet been collected as of Dec. 31, 2022.

Under the service contracting program, the participating operators and drivers in the government’s free ridership program would receive a one-time payout and weekly payments based on