ITINUTULAK ng National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) ang paglikha sa Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDEV).
Ayon kay NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, panahon na para kilalanin ang NEDA at iangat ang katayuan nito.
Aniya, lumaki na ang papel ng NEDA, at may pangangailangan din na magkaroon ng isang full-pledge department na hahawak sa ekonomiya at sa pag-unlad ng baansa.
“NEDA, as an ‘authority,’ does not have the same equal footing as other departments… Over the years, over the decades, NEDA has been given so many other activities, functions,” wika ni Balisacan.
“We need to have a long term infrastructure program, for example. Who’s shepherding that? How do we ensure those kinds of programs move from one administration to another? ‘Yun mga basic nakikita namin,” dagdag pa niya.
“We need to have that agency to play that role.”
Sinasabing palalakasin ng bill ang kapangyarihan at tungkulin ng economic and planning agency, at titiyakin nito na ang master plans ay “coordinated at responsive” sa mga umuusbong na isyu.
Inaasahan ding magtatakda ang isinusulong na departamento ng “standards, guidelines, compliance at accountability mechanisms” para sa planning cycle ng pamahalaan.
