MANILA, Philippines – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is expecting a better performance in the disbursement of the official development assistance (ODA) loans this year as improvement in its efficient use was noted in the first half of 2010 compared to last year.

Of the 87 ODA loans, seven were closed, while two loans worth US$250 million became effective during the first semester of 2010. The total ODA commitments as of June 2010 amounted to US$8.8 billion, or US$800 million higher than last year.

NEDA said the government has disbursed about US$963.74 million for the first semester this year, or 17 percent higher than the amount disbursed as of June 2009 worth US$826.59 million.

The significant increase in the disbursements was largely attributed to releases from three program loans worth US$452.8 million, according to the ODA loans performance report of NEDA.

These three loans include the French Development Agency's Local Government Financing and Budget Reform Program which aims to strengthen financing of local government units to enhance delivery of environmental, health and social services; the Japan International Cooperation Agency's (JICA) Emergency Budget Support Loan which aims to encourage economic measures necessary to expand domestic demand amid the global financial and economic crisis; and JICA's Development Policy Support Program III, which contributes to improving the investment climate through reforms in tax refund, customs services and procedures, systems for partnerships between the government and the private sector.

Loans were earmarked either for specific projects designed to achieve specific objectives within specified resources and implementation schedules, or for programs in the form of cash or budget support to the regular activities of the government.

NEDA also noted that the disbursement rate of ODA loans slightly increased to 86.68 percent as of June 2010, from 86.37 percent as of the same period last year. Excluding program loans, disbursement level and disbursement rate also improved.

In terms of disbursement ratio, or the proportion of actual disbursement against the total loan balance, the figure increased to 20 percent in the first half of 2010, from 17 percent in the same period last year.

The cumulative utilization of loan amount according to a multi-year schedule, the performance rate increased to 82 percent as of June 2010 from last year's 81 percent.

Actual availment as of the first half of 2010 amounted to US$3.899 billion of the scheduled US$4.764 billion.

Excluding program loans, the availment rate also improved to 79 percent as of the first semester of 2010, from 77 percent during the same period in 2009.