Duterte promotes acting NEDA chief Karl Chua to Secretary

Acting NEDA Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua

MANILA, Philippines — After sitting as acting Socio-economic Planning chief for a year, Karl Kendrick Chua is now officially the Secretary of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda), Malacañang confirmed Thursday.

“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 spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.

Chua was appointed as acting Neda chief in April last year after former Secretary Ernesto Pernia resigned from his post.

Prior to that, Chua served as an undersecretary of the Department of Finance.

“Secretary Chua has served the Duterte Administration with professionalism, competence and integrity as Undersecretary of the Department of Finance and Acting Secretary of the NEDA,” Roque said.

“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 added.

EDV