Pernia sees Neda becoming department within 2020

The House economic affairs committee on Tuesday (Feb 11) approved the National Economic and Development Authority’s (Neda) proposal to become the Department of Economics and Development Planning (DEDP) with a bigger role in the crafting and implementation of all of the government’s sectoral plans.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Neda chief Ernesto M. Pernia told reporters after the House hearing that it was “very doable” for the state planning agency to become a full-pledged department within 2020.

Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Rosemarie G. Edillon said the bill to convert Neda into the DEDP will also have to be first approved by the House appropriations committee as a bigger budget was needed to establish the new department.

Edillon said the Senate economic affairs committee was also supportive of the move, especially panel chair Sen. Imee Marcos and Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.

“The DEDP will be the one to prescribe the guidelines, which we’re actually doing already but it’s with respect to the PDP [Philippine Development Plan]. This time, we want it done for all the plans,” Edillon said.

All the sectoral plans will also be reviewed by the DEDP to ensure that these were aligned with the PDP, which serves as each administration’s medium-term socioeconomic blueprint, Edillon added.

“At the start, we will already be providing the guidelines and the standards that they [other agencies that craft sectoral plans] have to comply with, and once their plans are done, then there will be a review by us,” according to Edillon.

But Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, who authored the bill in the House, told the Inquirer that the measure was watered down because of some reservations made by the Department of Finance (DOF).

Salceda claimed that the DOF wanted to remain the lead among the economic agencies.

Edited by TSB