NACC Hosts an Integrative Workshop to Tackle Corruption Issues
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) organized an integrative workshop to develop measures to address corruption for the 2025 fiscal. The approach emphasizes systematic operations, alongside promoting three main goals: cultivating a culture of honesty and integrity, focusing on corruption prevention plans -- including those involving truck sticker bribery and school milk corruption -- and pursuing cases with comprehensive expediency.
Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, the Secretary-General of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, presided over the integrative measures workshop for the fiscal year 2025, and provided direction for integrative corruption problem-solving at the NACC office in Nonthaburi Province. This initiative is part of the drive to implement the master plan under the 21st National Strategy, which addresses corruption and misconduct, ensuring clear, integrative operations that lead to concrete actions.
The NACC Secretary-General revealed that this meeting stemmed from the National Strategy that outlines the resolution of corruption issues within the strategy for balancing and developing the public administration system. The goal is to have a public sector that is transparent, free from corruption, and misconduct. The master plan under the 21st National Strategy on combating corruption and misconduct serves as a guideline for the operations of all sectors.
Therefore, in driving the efforts for the 2025 fiscal year, the NACC places significant emphasis on earnestly and vigorously pushing for the resolution of bribery issues. This is particularly evident in the focus on developing personnel and systems through proactive operations and various developmental approaches, which include:
(1) Developing an anti-corruption database system.
(2) Enhancing the capabilities of networks in monitoring and whistleblowing.
(3) Improving Integrity Testing Assessment (ITA) tools to align with the changing social context.
(4) Developing and promoting political ethics and the promotion of good governance in the public sector.
(5) Encouraging the private sector to adopt the ISO 37001 anti-bribery management system standards within their organizations.
Secretary-General Niwatchai also stated that the NACC has set main objectives for the plan of systematic integration both in terms of human quality development and system efficiency enhancement. There are three primary goals which are outlined as follows:
Goal 1 is to foster a sense of awareness and cooperation from the public in cultivating a culture and behavior of honesty and integrity. Relevant agencies must prioritize the development and advancement of the "Anti-Corruption Curriculum" tailored specifically to target groups, including children, youth, and members of the general public. This involves developing accessible and modern educational materials and understandings of bribery, as well as enhancing various networks ranging from anti-corruption database systems, network capabilities for surveillance and whistle-blowing, adapting ITA (Integrity Testing Assessment) tools to align with societal changes, promoting political ethics, and good governance in the public sector. There is also an emphasis on encouraging the private sector to implement ISO 37001 anti-bribery management system standards within their organizations. Related public agencies are expected to collaborate in establishing incentives for the private sector to adopt anti-corruption measures and participate in corruption prevention.
Goal 2 is to control and reduce the number of corruption and misconduct cases, with a focus on advancing measures and recommendations approved by the Cabinet, such as truck sticker bribery, school milk corruption, and the sale of electronic service cards in national parks (E-tickets). This also involves propelling operations in accordance with the 2015 Act on Facilitation of Official Administrative Operations, the provision of public services through electronic systems, and creating innovations in anti-corruption efforts.
Goal 3 focuses on accelerating corruption prosecutions to be swift, fair, and transparent, without discrimination. The agencies concerned must prioritize improving the efficiency of administrative and case management to ensure that corruption cases are concluded within the legally stipulated timeframe. This includes promoting the enactment of laws, the enforcement of laws, and disseminating the essential elements of laws to the public, such as the Conflict of Interest Law, the Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) Law, the tracking of asset recovery, and updating the fines for legal entities that cause damage to the country to be in line with international standards. Additionally, it involves the integration of disciplinary action information between the NACC and the Anti-Corruption Operation Center.
In conclusion, the NACC Secretary-General summarized that this meeting served to deliberate on targeted plans and projects with clearly designated responsible agencies. The integration of joint operational efforts among agencies was arranged, along with more definitive strategies for moving forward, operational plans, and setting clearer indicators to help fulfill the anti-corruption measures more completely. The NACC will propose the integrative measures for addressing corruption issues for the 2025 fiscal year, derived from this meeting, to the Cabinet for approval to establish a framework for operational direction and to request budget allocation according to the integrative plan for combating corruption and misconduct for the 2025 fiscal year.
