NACC Reveals Procurement Corruption Tops Complaint List Recommends Using Integrity Pact Mechanism to Prevent Corruption
จากไชต์: Office of The National Anti - Corruption Commission (ONACC)
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NACC Reveals Procurement Corruption Tops Complaint List Recommends Using Integrity Pact Mechanism to Prevent Corruption
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) disclosed that corruption in public procurement resulted in the highest financial losses, amounting to over 13.4 billion baht. This issue poses a significant concern for Thailand, impacting the country's Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) and highlighting the pervasive nature of corruption across various sectors. The NACC recommends using the “Integrity Pact” mechanism, which involves the participation of both the public and private sectors, as a tool to prevent corruption.
Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, NACC Secretary-General and Spokesperson, reported statistics on corruption complaints and allegations received by the commission. The findings revealed a total of 9,254 cases, with the total amount of corruption for the 2023 fiscal year reaching over 26.247 billion baht. Corruption in public procurement ranked the highest, with financial losses amounting to over 13.391 billion baht, representing 51.02 percent of the total.
The public procurement process in government agencies consists of eight steps:
(1) Determining the requirements,
(2) Budgeting,
(3) Setting the Terms of Reference (TOR),
(4) Announcing the bidding process,
(5) Submitting bids,
(6) Evaluating and awarding the contract,
(7) Delivery and installation, and
(8) Disbursement.
Corruption can occur at any stage of this process. Therefore, the Public Procurement Act includes Chapter 2, which promotes the participation of the public and private sectors in preventing corruption. It also emphasizes the collaboration of the private sector in establishing Integrity Pact projects, which focus on public and private sector involvement in preventing corruption. The goal is to ensure transparency in public procurement by allowing public observers to monitor the process from the drafting of the TOR to the completion of the project. Additionally, the project owner, bidders, and observers are required to sign the Integrity Pact, stressing the importance of transparency and fairness and preventing corruption. The Integrity Pact is an agreement between the project owner, the bidders, and the observers to refrain from corrupt practices in public procurement. Additionally, private sector participants in the Integrity Pact must adhere to the project's minimum standards, ensuring that the private sector implements effective internal controls to combat bribery, ultimately leading to the elimination of bribery practices.
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