Chua named NEDA chief

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has appointed National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) acting director-general Karl Chua as chief of the agency, Malacañang announced yesterday.

“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.

“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,” he added.

Roque expressed confidence that Chua would “continuously and consistently perform well in his present but crucial task of jumpstarting our economic recovery.”

Chua was finance undersecretary before being named acting NEDA chief last year. He replaced former socioeconomic planning secretary Ernesto Pernia, who resigned because of “differences in development philosophy” with some Cabinet members.

During his stint as a finance official, Chua served as the poster boy of the government’s tax reform program.