Duterte appoints Karl Chua as NEDA chief

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua as the head of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Malacañang announced on Friday.

“The Palace confirms President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s appointment of Mr. Karl Kendrick Chua as the Secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

In April last year, Chua was tapped as acting NEDA chief following the resignation of Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.

During his one-year stint as an acting NEDA secretary, Chua vowed to fast-track the Philippine Identification System, craft a national economic recovery plan after the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic, and support the government’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program.

Roque said Chua served the Duterte government with “professionalism, competence and integrity” as former undersecretary of the Department of Finance (DOF) and acting secretary of the NEDA.

“With the aforesaid traits we are confident that Sec. Chua would continuously and consistently perform well in his present but crucial task of jumpstarting our economic recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Roque congratulated Chua for being the new NEDA chief and wished him all the best.

Chua was a former undersecretary for the Strategy, Economic, and Results Group in the DOF.

Chua, as DOF official, helped the government implement its 10-point socioeconomic agenda by ensuring equitable and sustainable financing through the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.

Before joining the government, Chua served as the World Bank’s senior country economist for the Philippines.

In 2019, Chua was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men and Women by the Junior Chamber International Philippines.