CEZA asks for additional P2B to expand Port Irene

The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) is asking the Senate for an additional budget for its projects next year, particularly the planned expansion of Port Irene.

At the hearing of the Senate committee on finance sub-panel on Tuesday, presided over by Senator Mark Villar, CEZA business development manager Gabriel Lingan asked the upper chamber for an additional budget of P2,004,611,800.

This is on top of CEZA’s P631.8-million proposed budget for 2023 under the National Expenditure Program.

The lion’s share of the proposed extra funding will be for the construction of additional piers at Port Irene, amounting to P734,103,800.

CEZA is also asking for an additional P400 million for the construction of a fuel depot as well as P243.508 million for dredging and reclamation.

The agency is also requesting an additional budget for the maintenance of Port Irene’s breakwater (P132 million), communication system (P100 million), and road system construction (P395 million).

Villar asked CEZA “which projects will lead to direct revenues to the government, given [that] we have a somewhat tight fiscal situation."

In response, CEZA administrator Jaime Escaño said the agency will generate revenue from the construction of an additional pier at Port Irene.

“We are going to generate revenue on this budget request… The port is not suitable to accommodate container ships from Kaohsiung. Ships coming from Kaohsiung are too big to accommodate,” he said.

During the same hearing, the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority (ZCSEZA) presented its proposed budget of P275.9 million for next year.

The panel approved the proposed budgets of the CEZA and ZCSEZA.

“The budgets of CEZA and ZCSEZA are hereby approved at the committee level and deemed submitted to the plenary, taking into consideration the discussions today,” Villar said. — VBL, GMA News