NEDA employees welcome Recto like a star for all seasons

{mosimage}Former Senator Ralph Recto, husband of "Star for All Seasons" actress Vilma Santos, was welcomed as if he was a famous movie star himself in his first official working day as the country’s chief economist.

Excited employees of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the government’s economic planning agency, clapped, shouted and had their photos taken with their new director-general.

Some employees said they believed that Recto, 44, would be able to clean the image of NEDA, which had been tarnished by the involvement of former NEDA chief Romulo Neri in the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China’s telecommunications firm, ZTE Corp.

"Umaasa kaming iba siya. Wait and see muna, tingnan kung paano siya magpalakad," said one employee.

Acting NEDA chief Augusto Santos officially turned over the leadership of the agency to Recto on Tuesday.

Recto said he would do all he can to keep integrity and professionalism in the NEDA, especially since he will only stay in the agency until 2010 when President Arroyo’s term ends.

Recto is the third defeated candidate in the administration’s 2007 Team Unity senatorial ticket to be given a post after the one-year appointment ban on candidates who lost in the previous polls lapsed last month.

He denied his appointment was Arroyo’s payback for his support for the administration in 2007.

Recto also refused to answer critics who say he’s not qualified to be the country’s chief economist, a post that traditionally has been held by doctoral graduates of the University of the Philippines’ prestigious School of Economics.

"I don’t want to respond to that. I just intend to do my best," he said.

Recto said there’s nothing wrong if a politician or an ally of the president heads the NEDA.

What’s important, he said, is for NEDA to be transparent in its transactions.

"The president is the chief economist anyway, I just intend to do my best. Ayoko na silang patulan (I don't want to respond to that)," he said.

And like his new boss, Recto defended the government policy not to lift the Value-Added Tax (VAT), especially on oil products.

"Removing the VAT is not the solution. Where will you get funds for social services?" he said.

Recto was the principal sponsor of the 2005 law expanding the VAT from 10% to 12%.

On the issue of whether NEDA’s records on the NBN-ZTE project should be given to the Senate committees investigating the scandal, he said this is a matter that will be decided by the Supreme Court.

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