Call On Thai Govt To Disclose Water-Management Scheme Details

[webfact]

Water deals' details sought
JEERAPONG PRASERTPOLKRANG,
TANPISIT LERDBAMRUNGCHAI
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The private sector yesterday called on the government to disclose details of the contracts signed with bid winners in the planned Bt350-billion water-management scheme for the sake of transparency.

Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT) chairman Pramon Sutheewong, expressing concern about graft, yesterday urged the Water and Flood Management Commission (WFMC) to change its thinking and working method to ensure the scheme would be corruption-free.

"This project has not reached its final stage, so there is still the possibility of corruption. We hope to see details of the project contracts," Pramon said.

He said the ACT would launch its "virtuous contract" campaign to coincide with both this water project and the Transport Ministry's Bt2.2-trillion transport infrastructure overhaul scheme.

Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) vice chairman Jane Namchaisiri told a seminar hosted by the ACT yesterday that he would study the government's Bt350-billion water-management scheme contracts before the private sector signs them to try to avoid a repeat of past mistakes.

While admitting that the scheme's motto of "do good, do right, and do fast" is impossible to achieve in full, Jane insisted that the need to restore industrial-sector investors' confidence did not remove the necessity to ensure that the process of implementation was sound. Examining the construction aspects of the scheme alone was not sufficient, Jane said; its legitimacy also depended on whether the "single command" and management system that had been adopted was good enough.

He said he would study the contracts before they are signed with the bid-winning companies to evaluate their possible consequences and ensure that their terms do not rule out any necessary later changes. He expressed concern that they should not be signed before the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Health Impact Assessment (HIA) reports are done. He said previous governments had signed problematic contracts before and he wouldn't want that to reoccur.

The seminar was attended by many engineers, but Water and Flood Management Commission (WFMC) chairman Plodprasop Suraswadi was absent due to a "previous commitment". The FTI and ACT thus planned to submit the seminar results and suggestions to the Joint Public-Private Committee Meeting during the mobile Cabinet meeting in Kamphaeng Phet on June 9.

Separately, WFMC member Apichart Anukulampai said yesterday that contractors have been selected for all nine project modules.

He said the selection committee would negotiate with the companies selected about the construction prices. The Cabinet would be notified by June 11 about the final prices before the bid winners would be announced.

Apichart said qualified bidders that pass the minimum score of 80 in the technical round would not be publicly announced at this time due to fear of possible lobbying.

Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) president Suwat Chaopreecha, speaking at the ACT seminar, said a mega-project such as this should gather the country's best minds to achieve the highest benefits instead of implementing it hastily by specifying a loan time frame. He pointed out that the government should not rely on a sole contractor, but should conduct an EIA first and should get more public participation. He also called for the identities to be revealed of the 50 committee members who scored the technical proposals.

Seub Nakasathien Foundation secretary-general Sasin Chalermlarp expressed concerns about a lack of checks and balances regarding the EIA and HIA reports, because Plodprasop is also National Health Commission chair. He said this meant it was as if Plodprasop proposed the report and approved it. Urging the government to say what was wrong with the old model for the water project, rather than spending Bt350 billion in one go, he also warned that the claim of having garnered over 90 per cent public support through the gathering of signatures at a water exhibition was dangerous.

Meanwhile, a former water-drainage adviser to the prime minister, Uthane Chatpinyo, expressed concerns that the scheme's "A5" module might be frivolous spending. He proposed that canal dredging, changing the canal bottoms into concrete surfaces, and additional water draining-device installation would be a more-economic, cheaper and effective solution.

Taking journalists to inspect the Khlong Tam Rhu, Bang Plara, Suvarnabhumi, and Chonhan Phichit water sluice gates in Samut Prakan, he said that if these sluice gates were improved, they could prevent floods without the government spending Bt150 billion to build a flood-diversion channel as called for in the "A5" module. He said they should give importance to canals to drain water into the sea (possibly digging more canals to divert water into seaside drainage stations, and adding a drainage station in Bang Pu), rather than just draining water into the Chao Phraya River as it could overflow and cause flooding. Saying his solution would cost less than Bt15 billion, Utane said he would send a letter with his suggestions to Yingluck before the project's bidding result was announced on June 4 and hoped she would heed them and review the project to save the Thai people's tax money.


-- The Nation 2013-05-28

[NongKhaiKid]

" possibility of corruption" must be the understatement of the year so far.

[OzMick]

".........ensure that their terms do not rule out any necessary later changes."

I think he has a lack of understanding here. Contracts won under a competitive bid process only pay peanuts - it is the variations in contract as the job progresses that are the sugar coating.

[bigbamboo]

The people are starting to find their voice.

It seems a 'There is no corruption in my government' statement by the PM is no longer enough to keep them quiet.

[NeverSure]

What are "details?"

[Sing_Sling]

Sad when transparency is considered extraordinary

[Thai at Heart]

So what happens if someone challenges the lack of an eia in court?

Everything stops?

[rametindallas]

The government would really like to give out the details of its plans to prevent flood damage in the future but they are only just now getting the details of the 'skim' and the division of the 'skim' worked out. Priorities, if you please. Once the 'skim' is worked out, then the work of actually doing the engineering, environmental impact studies, etc. etc. can be worked out. "Give us the money first and trust us to give Thailand a corruption free, environmentally friendly, and functional flood relief system". Same goes with the 2.2 trillion Baht infrastructure improvement project.

[slapout]

This government demostrated their contempt for public knowledge/opinion, by transferring the Commerce Sectary who explained the projected cost to date of the rice boondoggle to a newreporter just last week.

The precident has been set for some time. Ignore requests for clarification, explantion, methods used, safety measures in place, reports from monitors, etc To suggest that this government heed warning from those with more experience, knowledge, morals, and ethics will be treated with the same disdain as displayed since they took office.

[thhMan]

BAHAHAHA...

Corruption free...

It can never be corruption free as long as Thailand keeps its head up its ass and schools continue to churn out buffoons!

[winstonc]

thank god its thai tax payers money,they can do and take what they want i dont care ,,neither do they actually,,hope it dont flood before the f1 race,,now that would be a giggle wouldnt it,,,,,or even better during,,

[waza]

Yer that's gonna happen

[amore]

So what happens if someone challenges the lack of an eia in court?

Everything stops?

Thats what happened at the Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate. The Administrative Court ordered the cessation of 76 projects there when it was found that the government were pushing ahead with them despite no enviromental assessments having been made. That's one of the major reasons why the the Dawei Port agreement was signed with the Generals.