PM Abhisit Gives Officials One Month To Sort Out Smart Id Card Problem

[webfact]

SMART CARD CONTROVERSY

PM gives officials one month to sort out smart ID card problem

By Wattana Khamchoo

The Nation

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday set a one-month deadline for authorities to clear up the confusion surrounding the distribution of "deficient" chip-embedded national identification cards.

BANGKOK: -- The problem came to light when the Interior Ministry, responsible for distributing and issuing the smart cards, and the Information and Communications Technology Ministry, responsible for procuring the card blanks, tried to blame one another for alleged irregularities.

"It has been found that the smart cards are not in conformity with the ministerial regulations on the issuing of identification cards," Abhisit said in his weekly address.

The two ministries have a month to clear up the matter, he said, pledging to avoid any inconvenience to the public, which might occur due to the delay in distributing and issuing the IC cards.

Interior Minister Chaovarat Chanweerakul has already formed a fact-finding panel to look into the matter, he added.

Interior permanent secretary Manit Wattanasen appointed his deputy Kwanchai Wongnitikorn to lead the fact-finding probe.

Kwanchai said his mandate was to uncover at the Interior's end why the cards were substandard. He had no jurisdiction over the ICT Ministry, he added.

Based on records, the Provincial Administration Department exercised its leeway to modify the cards with the aim of preventing forgery. But it remained unclear whether the card could be altered without having to amend the regulations first, he said.

He said his probe should be completed in one or two weeks.

Regarding the installation of the smart card computer system, Chaovarat reportedly let the Bt3 billion deal go ahead in spite of the allegation of irregularities.

The deal is at the final stage of scrutiny by the Budget Office before the leasing contract is signed.

The Budget Office's examination of the deal hinges on whether the ministry could resolve the seven cases of foul play in the bidding process detected by the Office of the Auditor General.

The Department of Special Investigation has been looking into the alleged irregularities since May but has drawn no conclusion yet.

-- The Nation 2010-06-28

[Pib]

They will probably buy new cards, "or just change the ministerial regulations." The later way saves face (regulations written by previous administration) and saves costs by not having to buy new cards. The government can then say they saved a bunch of money and streamlined regulations.

[gotlost]

Just have to figure out who gets the biggest cut of the pie.

[Rucharee]

Smart ID card?

Why not rename it stupid ID card?

[kuffki]

So who has not paid whom?

[asiawatcher]

More Tea Money will fix it! LOL

[JetsetBkk]

I hope that "one month" figure is a realistic. I remember another PM who liked to set deadlines.

[kissdani]

Smart ID card?

Why not rename it stupid ID card?

:lol:

[alex_aka_P]

>tried to blame one another

Decades in LoS, I am calling this country "Land of Sorries" since long ago.

Blaming each other is a Thai way to keep the things stand still, as noone found responsible after all. "Sorry, mistaa, we are lack of ID cards, solly-solly..." - and they think that it is ENOUGH, and excuses them for not doing their direct daily duties. It is very, VERY easy for Thai to say "sorry".

Nothing is changed to be more improved in this country. Blames, sorries, lack of BASIC knowledges and a TOTALLY low service abilities in everything (except cooking, singing and cross-blaming)....and thats the way we love it.

Edited June 28, 2010 by alex_aka_P