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[webfact]

Govt lauded for its efforts to fight graft
By PIYAPORN WONGRUANG
THE NATION

 

Prayut

 

Experts seek more action to deal with cronyism.

 

BANGKOK: -- THE PRAYUT government has made some progress in suppressing corruption but it needs to show that it would not spare any wrongdoers including its cronies, anti-corruption experts said yesterday.

 

They were speaking at a seminar, “Monitoring the Prayut Government’s Anti-Corruption Policies”, which was organised by Thailand Development and Research Institute (TDRI) and the Anti-Corruption Organisation of Thailand (ACT). 

 

Thippatrai Saelawong, a principal researcher from the TDRI, said the government has been doing its best to tackle corruption by reforming and enacting some new laws. At least five laws to help suppress corruption have been enacted during its term of nearly three years. 

 

The research team looked into the progress of the government’s anti-corruption effort by examining degrees of action, from light action to the most concrete action of law enactment.

 

The team found that the government had performed quite well, with a score of about 67 per cent, in preventing officials intervening in state business via subjective judgements, one of the two prime sources of corruption. The other is state procurements.

 

At least two necessary laws have been put in place, particularly the state service facilitation law, under which state permission has become more transparent through concrete procedures, Thippatrai said.

 

The government has scored around 60 per cent regarding progress in trying to steer clear of corruption in state budget spending. At least two necessary laws, including the state procurements law, have been put in place to regulate and make spending of the state budget more transparent.

 

However, the promotion of public participation to ensure more transparency of state acts has been less successful as most laws have not yet been enacted, including the state information provision law, said Thippatrai.

 

“We have seen some progress in the government’s anti-corruption policies by taking a look at its law enactment on what is necessary. Still, we cannot tell yet whether these would lead to the success of corruption suppression as we need to monitor the enforcement of these new laws more as well as the outcome of the action,” said Thippatrai.

 

He added that there was still concern that an open atmosphere for discussions and participation was still relatively slim and several issues still remain closed to the public, including security issues.

 

Mana Nimitmongkol, ACT’s secretary-general, said the government has not yet been able to reach enough people to discuss solutions to the problem of corruption. 

 

Some groups have joined the government’s efforts but they are being outpaced by the scale of the problem. This government had enacted more anti-corruption laws than past governments but cronyism has overridden its efforts. 

 

Efforts in structural changes or long-term anti-corruption policies are desperately needed, he said.

 

Source: https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/980354-cabinet-endorses-broad-spying-powers-for-thai-police/

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-27

[PatOngo]

Any comment would be superfluous!

[Prbkk]

The headline says "lauded" but the text suggests 60 % and a meagre pass...must do much better is the conclusion to be drawn from it , not a praiseworthy effort.

Edited April 26, 2017 by Prbkk

[colinneil]

Would not spare anyone, including its cronies.

Corruption is so embedded onto life here, it is accepted as the norm, and even considered by some as a right.

[yellowboat]

The government gets a D- for fighting corruption, but the data is inconclusive.   Hardly worth having a conversation. 

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

If you read the BKK post today you will think there are 2 ACT's. The BKK Post article said that the ACT is asking for all the details regarding the subs and was sceptical about the transaction. There is also an opinion piece regarding the countries corruption scores. Interesting these scores improved between 2010 and 2014 but after that either stayed the same or decreased. This is the same as what happened after the previous coup, as transparency decrease (decrease in democracy) corruption increases. Be happy .....

[dinsdale]

Edited April 27, 2017 by dinsdale

[Muhendis]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

However, the promotion of public participation to ensure more transparency of state acts has been less successful as most laws have not yet been enacted, including the state information provision law, said Thippatrai.

Public participation is bound to be slow because of the possibility of defamation law being used against the participant. This is the one law which needs to be removed. 

[YetAnother]

all foolishness; corruption is up; look at the recent submarine fiasco

[RichardColeman]

Few scape goats fed to the masses now and again seems to suffice.

[jabis]

Holy crapcicless Batman... This must be logic from another space-time -continuum... ah naw just TiT 

[sanukjim]

  o

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

Would not spare anyone, including its cronies.

Corruption is so embedded onto life here, it is accepted as the norm, and even considered by some as a right.

How does a government eliminate corruption when if fact that is how it was originally set up and is now totally dependent on ? Impossible so the government's mission now is to find more cleaver ways to hide their actions from the ever increasing general public's knowledge of how governments in other countries are run in at least simi apparent operations.If you can keep the public less knowledgeable then you can keep them out of your affairs of corruption. And we know that has been the case here.

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Govt lauded for its efforts to fight graft

I hear the sound of one hand clapping..., it's more like a whoosh, whoosh...

[robblok]

3 hours ago, Prbkk said:

The headline says "lauded" but the text suggests 60 % and a meagre pass...must do much better is the conclusion to be drawn from it , not a praiseworthy effort.

Your right, but it does depend on how high previous governments scored. I don't have those figures at hand but if its a big increase they could be lauded. 

[darksidedog]

Given that the scores come from within Thailand, they are worth nothing. When Transparency International reports that corruption has dropped, I will be shocked, but only then will I believe it.

 

[jabis]

3 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Given that the scores come from within Thailand, they are worth nothing. When Transparency International reports that corruption has dropped, I will be shocked, but only then will I believe it.

 

Even if that would be the case I would prolly not hold my breath, and instead look at the changed goal posts 

[CantSpell]

Meant to say: Govt lauded itself... Cos they are really LOADED after 3 years 

 

And... wait for the SUB 555

[Eric Loh]

Patronizing and cowardly statement by Thippatrai Saelawong. You can't fight graft with selective prosecutions and charges. All should be investigated and prosecuted regardless of power, wealth or political alliance. There should be no fear to confront and prosecute the RTP and RTA which are rooted with massive corruption, cronyism and nepotism. Until all these are done, the lauding is premature and unworthy. 

[ChrisY1]

Handing out fake news on one hand.....taking pallets with the other

[Chris Lawrence]

They have since 1999 convicted 105 persons of corruption out of over 3500 cases. All convicted are low to poor middle management. No high end scalps. That's a fact. NACC is the Government body looking after corruption amongst the ranks.

[electric]

I applaud the OP for providing me with the best laugh I've had in several days.

 

Clearly the Thailand Development & Research Institute, and the Anti Corruption Organisation of Thailand had no input from the grass-roots community that experiences wide spread, and open corruption on a daily basis.

 

I don't know squat about high level business here in Thailand, but at the bottom of the food chain, where most of us and our families reside, corruption is alive and well on a breathtaking scale.

 

Personally, I tolerate this, as I've absolutely no idea how, or who, to complain to ..... and when I see my wife, family and Thai friends also doing nothing ....

 

But I'm damn certain I'd be making very big tsunamis if this shit was happening to me back in my home country.

 

But .... here in LOS I just shutup, smile politely, and bend over to pick up the soap.

[Lupatria]

This story is as newsworthy as this:

Harry Hayworth (89) from Aberystwyth (Wales) was lauded by his wife Martha (87) for growing the most beautiful cauliflower she saw in her entire life.

[Ulic]

Of course everyone wants graft to be decreased...........Of course that is the other guys graft.

[heybruce]

" At least two necessary laws have been put in place, particularly the state service facilitation law, under which state permission has become more transparent through concrete procedures, Thippatrai said."

 

Of course these laws don't apply to military spending, as the recent submarine purchase demonstrates.

[heybruce]

4 hours ago, Muhendis said:

Public participation is bound to be slow because of the possibility of defamation law being used against the participant. This is the one law which needs to be removed. 

That's not going to happen.  This is the law that allows the hi-so guilty to fend off pesky reporters and peasant activists.

[dageurreotype]

Govt lauded for its efforts to fight graft

 

Lol.

[candide]

What else could be expected from the TDRI, than support the Junta?

[Khon Kaen Dave]

Another dreamer who believes his own publicity.It must be wonderful prancing through life thinking that you can spout absolute shit and the people will love you for it.

[Chris Lawrence]

What about the mad monk Suthip, he was pulled up over his 6.75 billion baht allocation of building contract but no investigation carried out? The Thai Tobacco company were mentioned as a co-accused in over $1 million dollars paid as bribes to them in an American court in abt 2003 and nothing investigated. But the Generals suits are getting better tailored.

[kannot]

6 hours ago, Lupatria said:

This story is as newsworthy as this:

Harry Hayworth (89) from Aberystwyth (Wales) was lauded by his wife Martha (87) for growing the most beautiful cauliflower she saw in her entire life.

yeah but he grew it  outta  his  ass