A special session for the 2015 annual budget will be held by the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod at 3 p.m. today, Bacolod Councilor Claudio Puentevella said yesterday.

Puentevella, chairman of the SP Committee on Finance and Appropriation, said they have to finish the deliberation on the annual budget of P1.55 billion in preparation for a new contractor for garbage hauling and services.

The annual budget of P1.55 billion includes P150 million for environmental services.

Puentevella said the mayor had announced that the city is no longer renewing its contract with Enviroking Corporation after its contract ends by December 31. So there is a need to pass the budget so the city could negotiate with a new contractor, he said.

If the passage of the 2015 annual budget will be delayed, they will not be able to have a new operator for garbage hauling by January, Puentevella said.

It will take the city more than a month to award the contract to the new garbage contractor considering the many procedures that have to be followed, he said.

Puentevella said that during the last session, some councilors manifested if they could invite old operators to join the bidding.

If there is any delay in the awarding of contract to a new operator, either the Department of Public Services will collect garbage or the contract of Enviroking will be extended, as like what happened in the past, he said.

So they are hoping that they could get a new operator by January, he added.* CGS

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