Graft Watchdog Urges Thai Govt To Look Into Flood Projects

[webfact]

Graft watchdog urges govt to look into flood projects

PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The Anti-Corruption Network is calling on the government to look into the water-management projects in Chiang Mai and Ayutthaya, after it received information about certain officials benefiting from them.

Pramon Sutivong, the network's chairman, said the case had been passed on to the National Anti-Corruption Commission for further investigation.

He added that the government should provide clear information on how the Bt120 billion earmarked for water management and the Bt370 billion allocated for water-prevention measures is being spent.

"Any loopholes in the spending or corruption would create huge losses for the Kingdom and lower the efficiency of flood-prevention measures," Pramon said.

The network also plans to investigate the government's pledging projects for farm goods because it has received several complaints, especially in relation to projects involving rice, red onions and cassava.

Pramon said the group would place priority on the rice-pledging project because it involves several billions of baht and some politicians were clearly benefiting from it.

The watchdog will also monitor other projects that leave the door open to corruption, as well as a Pheu Thai MP and ex-Transport permanent-secretary's unusual wealth, the Thai Meteorological Department's questionable procurement policy, the cracked runways at Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's "smile" certificate project.

-- The Nation 2012-08-02

[Buchholz]

He added that the government should provide clear information on how the Bt120 billion earmarked for water management and the Bt370 billion allocated for water-prevention measures is being spent.

Graft Watchdogs and Building Contractors and Water Experts and Engineering Professionals and Farmers alike are all asking the country to keep an eye on the Half A Trillion Baht of taxpayers' money.

The current estimate is that 30% of any budget will be lost to corruption or 120 billion baht from the government's 350 billion baht flood relief will simply be STOLEN from the people.

A report in the other paper regarding various experts who say the 350 Billion Baht expenditure is being implemented without the government expressing sufficient knowledge to do so.

Contractors for the projects are complaining the plans are without specificity such that bidding on contracts is precarious as they aren't aware of all that is included.

Additionally, the Executive Director of the Thai Hydrologist Association is reporting that the government is displaying a lack of knowledge regarding its plan for floodways.

Also, the President of the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) said the government needs to improve its overall Flood Plan while farmers in Sukhothai are complaining the flood prevention plan is now flooding their fields.

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__5532966

EIT slams Government’s water management projects

http://www.thaivisa....ost__p__5534194

Edited August 2, 2012 by Buchholz

[Moruya]

Raiding the coffers.

There will be none left soon and huge debts

[jonclark]

Raiding the coffers.

There will be none left soon and huge debts

And the sad irony of the whole thing is the middle class and elite (dem voters) will be more financially insulated from this fiasco, whilst the poor downtrodden PTP voters will be left scratching their heads wondering why it is so hard to put food on the table.

I remember the old saying - 'give em what they need not what they want'. The public wants ipads, phones and credit cards. What they need is a government free of corruption.

[Moruya]

Raiding the coffers.

There will be none left soon and huge debts

And the sad irony of the whole thing is the middle class and elite (dem voters) will be more financially insulated from this fiasco, whilst the poor downtrodden PTP voters will be left scratching their heads wondering why it is so hard to put food on the table.

I remember the old saying - 'give em what they need not what they want'. The public wants ipads, phones and credit cards. What they need is a government free of corruption.

Everywhere you look today there are accusations of corruption

[maidu]

When you wall something out (floods to Bangkok), you wall something in (floods within Bangkok). Major floods hit mid-Thailand every five years. Should be interesting to see the flow of things in 4 years and three months from now.

[GeorgeO]

Raiding the coffers.

There will be none left soon and huge debts

And the sad irony of the whole thing is the middle class and elite (dem voters) will be more financially insulated from this fiasco, whilst the poor downtrodden PTP voters will be left scratching their heads wondering why it is so hard to put food on the table.

I remember the old saying - 'give em what they need not what they want'. The public wants ipads, phones and credit cards. What they need is a government free of corruption.

Everywhere you look today there are accusations of corruption

And not just accusations .... where there's smoke, there's fire!