Integrity Pact 'successful' in curbing corruption

[rooster59]

Integrity Pact 'successful' in curbing corruption

By THE NATION

 

 

The Comptroller-General's Department has said the Integrity Pact initiative has helped the government save over Bt73 billion of budget since 2015.

 

 

Wilawan Phayanoi, the department’s spokeswoman and deputy director-general, said on Saturday (January 25) that as the central agency responsible for monitoring and administering the disbursement of the state budget, the Comptroller-General’s Department had started the Integrity Pack initiative since fiscal year 2015. The aim was to make sure that the government procurement and purchasing procedures are transparent and in compliance with related regulations and standards.

 

“Under the Integrity Pack, three parties must sign the procurement contract comprising the government agency that owns the project, the entrepreneur providing the products or services, and a third-party observer who possesses knowledge, expertise and experience related to the project,” she said. “All parties agree in writing to the terms and regulations of project’s procurement and all details of the process from request for proposal to the project’s completion must be verifiable by their counterparts.”

 

The Integrity Pact essentially helps prevent corruption in the procurement process, promotes fair competition and builds confidence among private parties to participate in the public-private partnership, added Wilawan.

 

“Since 2015 there have been 106 procurement projects that signed the Integrity Pact with combined project value of Bt18.103 trillion,” she said. “Fifty-three projects had already completed the procurement process with combined contract value of Bt160.201 billion and the pact has saved the government some Bt73.047 billion as a result of observer party giving advice to the project owners regarding suitable prices and specifications versus those proposed by the entrepreneurs.”

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30381050

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-01-26

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[RJRS1301]

Will this affect the private constuction industry for new McMansions and the sale of Benz and Beamers?

 

[DLock]

So, what you're saying, is that since 2105, there was Bt73Billion that would have normally been "appropriated" by Government officials.

 

...so what about before 2015?

 

I understand your logic Wliawan, but lets expand the logic to make some assumptions on "unusual wealth" and what your maths suggest.

[colinneil]

Integrity pact initiative just means that instead of 1 official getting a cut, now there will be 3.????

[canopus1969]

Thought it was a Colgate advert   ????

[metisdead]

A post with an altered image from the OP has been removed. 

[klauskunkel]

 

"I saved you some money, Uncle Toot, now give us a kiss."

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, RJRS1301 said:

Will this affect the private constuction industry for new McMansions and the sale of Benz and Beamers?

 

 

No

[Pedrogaz]

If the Integrity Pact is so successful, how come Thailand slipped once again in Transparency International rankings????

Ahh I see against our own internal subjective benchmarks (that we control) we improved. Everyone in the department got a gold star.

[RichardColeman]

So, where are the prosecutions for the missing money and corruption ?

[monkfish]

Except of course when they refuse to sign as in the case of BJ in which case they get transferred to an inactive posts.

 

[unamazedloso]

Thats great but still like right now my wife has had to dob in people lighting fires in public land and farming yet again and the people organizing this is the mayor, orbator secretary, and old mayors assistant. Seems they make there own projects to steal money!! Seems this pact thing doesnt really help the shear greed these people have.

 

[unamazedloso]

  8Thats great but still like right now my wife has had to dob in people lighting fires in public land and farming yet again and the people organizing this is the mayor, orbator secretary, and old mayors assistant. Seems they make there own projects to steal money!! Seems this pact thing doesnt really help the shear greed these people have.

 

[Mavideol]

corruption is on their DNA, no need for integrity pact, what they need to curb corruption is a DNA re-set, like a oil change on a car

[Orton Rd]

What about the bio metric scanadal that cost the number 2 policeman his job for resisting the corruption involved, this is BS

[overherebc]

5 hours ago, Pedrogaz said:

If the Integrity Pact is so successful, how come Thailand slipped once again in Transparency International rankings????

Ahh I see against our own internal subjective benchmarks (that we control) we improved. Everyone in the department got a gold star.

Gold stars. Who got the balloons????

[RJRS1301]

4 minutes ago, overherebc said:

Who got the balloons????

They were helium filled and curently floating around, prior to bursting and then polluting the waterways, then wildlife insides

 

[overherebc]

9 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

They were helium filled and curently floating around, prior to bursting and then polluting the waterways, then wildlife insides

 

Helium is expensive. More likely hot air.

[trainman34014]

I would like to be the 'Third Party Observer who possesses Knowledge, Expertise and Experience related to the Project'.... because this is the key signature and therefore recieves the fattest envelope !

[soalbundy]

19 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

So, where are the prosecutions for the missing money and corruption ?

Heresy! heresy! (you haven't had your cut yet?)

[BobbyL]

I wonder how much THB slipped under their integrity radar radar. 

[mikebell]

She's talking through her bottom and toeing the party line.  It just means the corrupt are being more careful about stealing public money.

[P Funk]

And who’s watching the watchers?

And have those savings figures been verified?

Don’t trust the lot of them...

[P Funk]

But nice smile!

[Srikcir]

On 1/26/2020 at 6:16 AM, rooster59 said:

Under the Integrity Pack, three parties must sign the procurement contract comprising the government agency that owns the project, the entrepreneur providing the products or services

How does this work when the "entrepreneur" is a joint venture with a state-owned enterprise?

If appearance of collusion is to be prevented, no state-owned enterprise should be allowed to participate in bids for government contracts.

On 1/26/2020 at 6:16 AM, rooster59 said:

third-party observer who possesses knowledge, expertise and experience related to the project,

As a signatory to a contract, a third-party might be liable for execution of the contract - no matter whether the liability arises directly or indirectly, with or without knowledge of contractual irregularities.

• Assuming a third-party is truly independent from the government and entrepreneur, one would doubtful not have any means of check & balances to detect contract irregularities without full access to all actions conducted between the government and the entrepreneur.

And this raises another question as to how a third-party is selected and paid without creating a potential conflict of interest with either the government or entrepreneur.

• In a perfect world where Thailand Constitutional Organizations serve as institutional checks & balances in government affairs, such third-party might be selected and funded by the NACC.
• Such third-party should not be acting on its own cognizance and without authority to investigate and require full disclosure of contractual processes and information.

IP's has a good idea but it could potentially lead to worse corruption that operates under the veil of due process. Furthermore, there appears to be institutional checks & balances already in place to accomplish the same goals. But it's more a matter of Existing Institutions doing their job in accordance with the laws and heir constitutional authority.

IP's solution seems to add another administrative layer of red tape just to project an image of fighting corruption.