Rice-pledging scheme: NACC to probe more Thai officials

[webfact]

RICE-PLEDGING SCHEME
NACC to probe more officials
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) panel probing alleged irregularities in the rice-pledging scheme has decided to interrogate more officials and people involved in the programme after deciding it does not have enough evidence to substantiate corruption allegations.

The panel said it had not yet found evidence to determine whether rice trading between Thai and Chinese government representatives was carried out under an official government-to-government scheme.

Facing investigation are Manat Soiploy, former director-general of the Department of Trade; former deputy commerce minister Poom Sarapol; Guangdong Stationery & Sporting Goods Import & Export Corp; Hainan Grain & Oil Industrial Trading Company; Siam Indica Co Ltd; and people linked to that company.

The NACC panel said the G2G trading was believed to have caused losses to the rice-pledging scheme because rice would be sold at less than the market price.

However, the Customs Department reported that from August 2011 to June this year, Thailand exported 375,000 tonnes of rice to China from the total of 4.8 million tonnes that it is supposed to hand over to China under the contract.


-- The Nation 2013-12-04

[jaidam]

Siam Indica Co Ltd. For those with a short memory that is the revered Arisman's and his wife's company.

[PaullyW]

Yes, we know already. You guys will 'setup some committees' and 'probe' and 'urge' and maybe even 'investigate'. And, somehow either 1) nobody or 2) whatever the opposing party/faction (by name, seems like at least 2 of the companies in the article being investigated are foreign or linked to foreign trade?) will be found to have been involved in any sort of corruption.

Despite the entire country and culture being one that approves of corruption.

Why pretend guys? The Thais already know they are corrupt, and surely you can't convince foreigners otherwise.

Edited December 3, 2013 by PaullyW

[ChrisY1]

Too many "notables" (lightly used) within these companies to enable the NACC to conduct any legitimate investigations....let alone come up with indictable findings!

Whatever....the NACC is managed by the ruling party....so maybe enough said!

[NongKhaiKid]

Too many "notables" (lightly used) within these companies to enable the NACC to conduct any legitimate investigations....let alone come up with indictable findings!

Whatever....the NACC is managed by the ruling party....so maybe enough said!

You have got it as nothing and no one here is truly independent so the result is decided in advance.

[Thai at Heart]

How are they planning to probe companies in China?

[ramrod711]

Even if the commission found irregularities and reccomended charges, red shirts would just surround the court, threaten and intimidate. Rule of law has eroded to a very dangerous level.

[JRSoul]

Why doesn't the NACC start at the top? Check which cabinet ministers, PTP MPs, and members of their families have profited from this failed and hugely expensive policy through direct ownership or company shares of businesses involved in rice growing, rental of rice-growing land, or storage of rice. While profiting from a government policy is not a crime, failing to declare a conflict of interest and recusing yourself from any vote or decision most certainly is. I have deliberately left out milling because there is nothing in the policy that would explicitly profit millers. however, I have included land rental and storage because any reasonable person should have been able to see that this policy would increase demand, and hence prices, for both; and because no measures were taken in the policy to reduce profiteering.

I'm sure government members found guilty will come up with one of the two standard responses - "I was just following orders" or "It was nothing personal, just business."

BTW dismissal, fines and incarceration are common in western democracies for failure to declare conflicts of interest. For the Shinawatras and their string of political parties, it is business as usual.

[worgeordie]

I am sure they will not probe too far up the ladder,if anyone

is found to blame it will be the underlings,small fry,as usual.

regards Worgeordie

[i claudius]

I cannot understand why they set up these investigations ,Thailand is "the hub" of them ,there is no corruption here. we all know it.

[ginjag]

PROBE ????

Not have to probe too far or you will damage the rectum.

[kingalfred]

If the so called "poor rice farmers "who this scheme was set up to help ,used some brain matter they would deduce that their wonderful government have "screwed them"along with 3% of the countrys economy.Yingluck was on Al Jazeeera news 2 days ago and still praising her scheme.And to think she was a "business woman" in a previous incarnation. http://m.aljazeera.com/story/ 201312284319234. Go to 17 .15s in the video.

Edited December 4, 2013 by kingalfred

[PeterSmiles]

The panel said it had not yet found evidence to determine whether rice trading between Thai and Chinese government representatives was carried out under an official government-to-government scheme.

In any civilized not corrupt country that would only require to pick up the phone and ask for the documents to be sent over.

The fact that NACC is not able to determine that in less than 24 hours says it all.

[spirit47]

I don't understand, how this rice pledging sheme should work for the poor farmers in Isaan. They have only one harvest a year, here in the middle they have 3 harvest a year.

[rubl]

Corruption? Of course not. We just lost 60% of the THB 660 billion spent, that's all. Nothing to worry about

[slapout]

The evidence of corruption have been presented several times for the nation/government to see, by the government bean counters/turned whistle blowers the opposition, farmers, etc.

The NACC in all of their posturing, seem unable to understand a P&L statement, in the most basic form, what constitues corruption, and/or thef, etc.. It appear there is a real communication problem between reality, their job description and what the protestors/opposition are demanding from thepresent and future governments as a whole.

[Nickymaster]

The NACC panel said the G2G trading was believed to have caused losses to the rice-pledging scheme because rice would be sold at less than the market price.

Here it is guys! Thailand sold rice to other governments below market price.........and somebody must have received the difference between selling price and market price...

Edited December 4, 2013 by Nickymaster

[rubl]

The NACC panel said the G2G trading was believed to have caused losses to the rice-pledging scheme because rice would be sold at less than the market price.

Here it is guys! Thailand sold rice to other governments below market price.........and somebody must have received the difference between selling price and market price...

Now please pay attention, I'll only say this once:

It's the difference between pledge price and selling price can counts

[SOTIRIOS]

...and erase all traces that remain.....

...the report was issued...rejected.......the investigator was ridiculed, threatened...you name it.....

...so we will have 'an acceptable version' now....so long after the fact.........

[kingalfred]

The NACC panel said the G2G trading was believed to have caused losses to the rice-pledging scheme because rice would be sold at less than the market price.[/

 

Here it is guys!  Thailand sold rice to other governments below market price.........and somebody must have received the difference between selling price and market price...

 

Now please pay attention, I'll only say this once:

 

It's the difference between pledge price and selling price can counts 

yes

[EyesWideOpen]

At one level I almost admire this rice scheme..... First make promises to the red buffaloes that you will give them

more money for their rice, thus getting Thaksin/clone elected. Then basically loot the entire program to the tune

of endless billions of baht to enrich the insiders. The people at the top getting rich from this must be laughing

their ass off on the way to go Ferrari shopping, as this was a win win for them.... Meanwhile it is just dawning

on the rice farmers the level of destruction this has caused to their industry......

[Nickymaster]

The NACC panel said the G2G trading was believed to have caused losses to the rice-pledging scheme because rice would be sold at less than the market price.

Here it is guys! Thailand sold rice to other governments below market price.........and somebody must have received the difference between selling price and market price...

Now please pay attention, I'll only say this once:

It's the difference between pledge price and selling price can counts

No. It's the difference between pledge price + all associated costs (storage rent, computer systems, transport etc etc etc) AND selling price that will establish it's total loss.

To be fair, any kind of farmer's support system would incur losses. This government has chosen for pledging, others might prefer to give money directly to the farmers.

The big question is were is the corruption in this scheme and why is so much money being lost on it. One very easy way is looking at selling vs market price.

[jaidam]

The NACC panel said the G2G trading was believed to have caused losses to the rice-pledging scheme because rice would be sold at less than the market price.

Here it is guys! Thailand sold rice to other governments below market price.........and somebody must have received the difference between selling price and market price...

Now please pay attention, I'll only say this once:

It's the difference between pledge price and selling price can counts

No. It's the difference between pledge price + all associated costs (storage rent, computer systems, transport etc etc etc) AND selling price that will establish it's total loss.

To be fair, any kind of farmer's support system would incur losses. This government has chosen for pledging, others might prefer to give money directly to the farmers.

The big question is were is the corruption in this scheme and why is so much money being lost on it. One very easy way is looking at selling vs market price.

Quite correct, but you forget to mention the "opportunity cost". That is to say what could the "missing" 600 billion baht have been better spent on. Such as 20,000 top rate hospitals and 10,000 schools with the best teachers money can hire, and still have change left over to buy every rot E-tan driver a Ferrari.

[Ricardo]

How are they planning to probe companies in China?

Very diplomatically, if they wish to ship the rest of the rice contracted-for, or get the freight-line from Southern-China down to Singapore, with associated 'fees' & 'commissions'.

[Dogmatix]

This could potentially result in an indictment of Yingluck as chairman of the Rice Pledging Committee, even tho she attend the meetings. That would mean automatic suspension from duty.

[MaiChai]

Thai rice is like London water; its been through the 'system' 10 times before its finally released!

[tomacht8]

" does not have enough evidence"
How much evidence they need then?
Hurry up please!
And please do not tell me, that in this 687.000.000.000 Baht heist on the public finances, everything was correct!?
Really no corruption?
No one has cheated?

No people have exchanged large amounts baht for hard currency in the Chinese money dealers shops?
Popular're the big 500 Euro bills.
A suitcase with 40 Kilos is around 20 Mio Euros, that is now 860 Mio Baht.

Not enough evidence?
And this writes The National Anti-Corruption Commission of Thailand.
It is depressing.

[ratcatcher]

What in 'tarnation is a company like this doing in the rice trading business?

http://www.cccme.org.cn/shop/cccme2099/index.aspx

[tomacht8]

What in 'tarnation is a company like this doing in the rice trading business?

http://www.cccme.org.cn/shop/cccme2099/index.aspx

Agree, more then dubios.

Looks more like a letter box entity.

Number Of Employees：50-100

.....Christmas Decorations?...

[ratcatcher]

Siam Indica Co Ltd. For those with a short memory that is the revered Arisman's and his wife's company.

Read further and learn.These guys are up to their scrawny necks in this crap.

Mr Warong said his own investigation found there were alleged irregularities in the rice deal with China.

GSSG Import & Export Corp, a China-based trading firm, which bought rice from Thailand, was represented by a man who authorised a resident of Phichit's Bang Mun Nak district to sign the rice deal on his behalf, said the Democrat MP.

The man was an assistant of Pheu Thai Party MP Rapeepan Pongruangrong, wife of red-shirt leader Arisman Pongruangrong, he said.

The plot thickens.

http://assistamerica.countrywatch.com/rcountry.aspx?vcountry=170&topic=CBWIR&uid=6067023

Someday this will all be on show.

Edited December 4, 2013 by ratcatcher