Pawns in a Political Chess Game (on INQ7.net's article 'Railroading of North Rail project draws flak')
What an interesting play on words. I've often heard comments from colleagues and contacts both from within NEDA and other organizations that the Staff I'm a member of (the NEDA Public Investment Staff/PIS, which provides technical staff support in the coordination and review of the flow of official development assistance to the country to ensure consistency with national development priorities, among other responsibilities) 'railroaded' the North Rail Project. Excuse me, but I beg to disagree. I don't think it's fair to conclude (quite hastily) that it was PIS or the NEDA Secretariat (NS) that 'railroaded' this project. While it was the NS that evaluated the technical, financial, and economic merits of the project, it was the NEDA Board (thru the Investment Coordination Committee) that ultimately approved the project upon NS recommendation. And the NEDA Board is chaired by the President of the Republic herself (click here for information on the NEDA organization).
It seems that the 'facilitated' processing and approval of the project was brought about by foreign policy that paved the way for a favorable discussion between heads of state during the President's visit to China at the time the project was approved and committed (for financing), which was end-2003. Perhaps the distinction between NEDA 'Board' and 'Secretariat' is not quite apparent and widely recognized. The Board itself is composed of various Cabinet Secretaries; hence, NEDA in the sense referred to by most publications ultimately refers not only to the Secretariat, but the collegiate body itself.
It may be mistakenly gleaned from the article that NEDA made a 180-degree turn in its earlier recommendation that the project "be subjected to a public bidding wherever feasible in line with the general policy of the government to encourage competition" and instead "endorsed CNMEC's offer for North Rail without a bidding." However, it was, in fact, pressure from higher-ups that led to this endorsement. After all, we are but pawns in this chess game called politics.
Link to INQ7.net article here.
It seems that the 'facilitated' processing and approval of the project was brought about by foreign policy that paved the way for a favorable discussion between heads of state during the President's visit to China at the time the project was approved and committed (for financing), which was end-2003. Perhaps the distinction between NEDA 'Board' and 'Secretariat' is not quite apparent and widely recognized. The Board itself is composed of various Cabinet Secretaries; hence, NEDA in the sense referred to by most publications ultimately refers not only to the Secretariat, but the collegiate body itself.
It may be mistakenly gleaned from the article that NEDA made a 180-degree turn in its earlier recommendation that the project "be subjected to a public bidding wherever feasible in line with the general policy of the government to encourage competition" and instead "endorsed CNMEC's offer for North Rail without a bidding." However, it was, in fact, pressure from higher-ups that led to this endorsement. After all, we are but pawns in this chess game called politics.
Link to INQ7.net article here.
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on Monday, October 18, 2004 at 09:14.
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