Congress ratifies measure changing Neda to DEPDev
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday ratified a measure reorganizing the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) into the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.
It was contained in the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 2878 and House Bill No. 11199, otherwise known as the Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Act.
In his short manifestation delivered during the chamber’s plenary session, Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri enumerated the amendments made in the bicam report.
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He likewise noted that the bicam conferees agreed to adopt the Senate version of the bill as their working draft.
“Foremost among the amendments made in the bicam is a transitory provision empowering the President to retain the incumbent Secretary of the Neda as the inaugural Secretary of the DEPDev, without need of a new appointment, to facilitate the continuity of plans, programs, and policies throughout the period of transition,” said Zubiri.
“The President may also request the DEPDev for its recommendation on budget appropriations that are not aligned with the long-term development framework, which may then be vetoed or subjected to conditional implementation,” he added.
A provision establishing a subcommittee on inflation monitoring and market outlook under the economic development committee was inserted, noting that it would serve as “an advisory body on measures that will keep inflation within the government’s targets.”
As proposed in the bill, Neda would become the government’s primary economic and planning agency and be renamed DEPDev, tasked with formulating the country’s long-term development framework.
