The Commission on Appointments confirmed Wednesday the appointment of National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua, a month after he was officially appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Chua was appointed acting secretary after former NEDA chief Ernesto Pernia resigned in April 2020. In April 2021, he was officially appointed NEDA secretary by Duterte.
Chua said during the CA hearing that his appointment as acting secretary and then as ad-interim secretary of Socioeconomic Planning came at a very difficult time in history, and he was very much aware of the scale of the unprecedented challenge.
The economy contracted by a record 9.6 percent in 2020, the worst since the end of World War 2. In the first quarter this year, GDP declined by 4.2 percent, the fifth consecutive quarter of contraction.
“I will offer my best effort and to contribute effective solutions to the challenges that we are all facing as a nation and to consult frequently with various stakeholders,” he said.