Increased local government power in Thailand will mean increased need for watchdogs and transparency
By Jon Fernquest
When
political power and money move from Bangkok to the provinces there will
be more money sloshing around villages and
provincial towns. More money in the provinces will also mean more opportunities for corruption.
To fight corruption there will be an increased need for watchdog organisations and transparency.
That is the topic of today's article after the vocabulary:
watchdog organisations -
groups that watch politicians and companies to make sure they do not
break the law
transparency - when the public can see clearly what is happening in politics
sloshing - moving around all over the place like water
transparency - when the public can see clearly what is happening in politics
sloshing - moving around all over the place like water
FROM THE GROUND UP
Devolution breeds more corruption
Last year, the NACC received a total of 1,215 complaints14/11/2009
..."Embezzlement and collusion in bidding for construction and development projects are the top forms of corruption at the community level," said a NACC [National Anti-Corruption Commission] official...
Last year, the NACC received a total of 1,215 complaints against local bodies but rejected 254 of them, ruling that they were unfounded.
devolution - taking
government power and functions from the center (Bangkok) and giving it
to local areas (provinces)
breeds - creates
embezzlement - the crime of stealing money that your company has entrusted you to take care of
trust - believes that somone will do as they promised, believe that they will not harm you
entrust X with Y - give X an important task, believing that they will complete task and not harm or cheat you
collusion - working together to achieve some illegal or immoral goal
bidding - making an offer in an auction (here trying to offer to do project for lowest cost and thus win contract)
auction - when people offer competing bids to buy something or to be chosen as the contractor to do a project (See Wikipedia)
collusion in bidding - when people in an auction work to keep bids high or low so they can profit
a community - people who share something in common (living in same area, share and discuss the same interests)
NACC (National Anti-Corruption Commission), National Counter-Corruption Commission - an independent agency of the Thai government "responsible for the ethical conduct, financially or otherwise of elected politicians and civil servants. The commission have both powers of investigation and prosecution." (From Wikipedia; see website)คณะกรรมการป้องกันและปราบปรามการทุจริตแห่งชา
complaints - when people say there is something wrong and they want it changed
unfounded - were not true, did not actually happen, no facts to support them as true
breeds - creates
embezzlement - the crime of stealing money that your company has entrusted you to take care of
trust - believes that somone will do as they promised, believe that they will not harm you
entrust X with Y - give X an important task, believing that they will complete task and not harm or cheat you
collusion - working together to achieve some illegal or immoral goal
bidding - making an offer in an auction (here trying to offer to do project for lowest cost and thus win contract)
auction - when people offer competing bids to buy something or to be chosen as the contractor to do a project (See Wikipedia)
collusion in bidding - when people in an auction work to keep bids high or low so they can profit
a community - people who share something in common (living in same area, share and discuss the same interests)
NACC (National Anti-Corruption Commission), National Counter-Corruption Commission - an independent agency of the Thai government "responsible for the ethical conduct, financially or otherwise of elected politicians and civil servants. The commission have both powers of investigation and prosecution." (From Wikipedia; see website)คณะกรรมการป้องกันและปราบปรามการทุจริตแห่งชา
complaints - when people say there is something wrong and they want it changed
unfounded - were not true, did not actually happen, no facts to support them as true
It forwarded the rest of the cases to other concerned agencies for further examination.
But in 52 of the cases the NACC found that local representatives had helped their family members or cronies win government contracts.
Some even indirectly forced their offices into accepting contracts at inflated prices so they could share the profits in return.
Procurement regulations were ignored as a result.
Damage from irregularities could amount to one million baht per project for the state, while profits for members of the municipal and provincial bodies could be as high as 40 million baht per project, say insiders.
forwarded - after
receiving it, you send it so another person
cronies - close friends helped by a business person
inflated prices - prices that are too high (market price is actually lower)
procurement - buying supplies for a company or other organisation
ignored - 1. follow or be influenced by, 2. pretended not to notice
irregularities - things that are not normal, that often mean there is corruption or cheating
cronies - close friends helped by a business person
inflated prices - prices that are too high (market price is actually lower)
procurement - buying supplies for a company or other organisation
ignored - 1. follow or be influenced by, 2. pretended not to notice
irregularities - things that are not normal, that often mean there is corruption or cheating
Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat admitted that local bodies are yet to gain the full trust and acceptance of local officials, especially those working in the fields of public health and education, who are reluctant to serve under them. These two areas of services have not yet been fully transferred to the local bodies.
"The services cannot be transferred now because local bodies are still not ready to take over in terms of human resources and technical capacity," he said...
The state rushed to establish local organisations without proper plans to train and develop the workforce...
Of the 7,851 local organisations countrywide, only 30% are currently capable of offering quality services, he said.
public health -
the science and practice of community hygiene and cleanliness including
preventive medicine, health education, sanitation and environmental
safety (See Wikipedia)
transferred - moved
human resources (HR) - the department of a company that deals with recruitment, administration, management and training of employees (See Wikipedia)
technical capacity - people do not have enough knowledge of how to do the things
workforce - all the workers in an economy or a company
transferred - moved
human resources (HR) - the department of a company that deals with recruitment, administration, management and training of employees (See Wikipedia)
technical capacity - people do not have enough knowledge of how to do the things
workforce - all the workers in an economy or a company
However, local residents would be able to play the role of a watchdog to keep local bodies in check and help improve local services, if a bill governing public participation in local organisations is passed by parliament.
Under the law, one-fifth of eligible local voters could make calls for local councils to impeach their representatives as well as demand the issuance of stronger regulations.
They could also request for a referendum on a project if it was seen as affecting their lives and wanted it halted...
"Many people and officials may not be well-informed about this law, and may not use it.
"I wonder how many local bodies have educated their residents about their existing legal rights," he said.
a role of X in Y - the
tasks that X does in project Y
a watchdog - a group that watches companies and makes sure that they do not break the law
keep in check - control
keep local bodies in check - control local government
public participation - when people affected or served by a project can influence the project decisions made
eligible - meet the requirements to ba able to so something
eligible local voters - people who can vote because they meet the requirements
impeach their representatives - vote to remove leaders from their political office
referendum - when the public votes on a government policy to show whether they agree with it or not
well-informed - know a lot about what is happening
a watchdog - a group that watches companies and makes sure that they do not break the law
keep in check - control
keep local bodies in check - control local government
public participation - when people affected or served by a project can influence the project decisions made
eligible - meet the requirements to ba able to so something
eligible local voters - people who can vote because they meet the requirements
impeach their representatives - vote to remove leaders from their political office
referendum - when the public votes on a government policy to show whether they agree with it or not
well-informed - know a lot about what is happening
(Source: Devolution breeds more corruption, Last year, the NACC received a total of 1,215 complaints, 14/11/2009, link)
