NOT all government expenditures are covered by the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) because there are hundreds of “hidden” accounts in the government’s budget, which, according to former National Treasurer Leonor Briones, could be as high as 10 percent of the national budget.

A study funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said these off-budget accounts (OBAs) are equivalent to at least five percent to as high as 10 percent of the yearly budget.