Aims to Prevent Conflicts of Interest and Reduce Discretionary
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has recommended that the Cabinet review the criteria and conditions for the payment of rewards in customs bribery cases. This initiative aims to prevent conflicts of interest and reduce discretionary power. The Cabinet has acknowledged the recommendation and assigned the Ministry of Finance, specifically the Customs Department, to collaborate with the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), the Royal Thai Police, the NACC, and other relevant agencies to reach a conclusion within 30 days.
Niwatchai Kasemmongkol, Secretary-General of the NACC and the spokesperson for the NACC, revealed that the NACC had proposed criteria and conditions for the payment of rewards to officials, as stipulated in the Customs Department regulations under Section 32 of the 2018 Organic Act on Counter Corruption. This proposal was presented to the Cabinet meeting on July 30th, 2024. The Cabinet acknowledged the recommendation and assigned the Ministry of Finance, through the Customs Department, to take the lead in reviewing the proposal with the ONCB, AMLO, the Royal Thai Police, the NACC, and other relevant agencies. The Ministry of Finance is expected to summarize the overall results and submit them to the Cabinet Secretariat within 30 days of notification from the Cabinet Secretariat for further presentation to the Cabinet.
The NACC's recommendations include studying the necessity of reward payments to officials and exploring the feasibility of using current public sector compensation systems instead of fines-based rewards. Additionally, it suggests revising the reward distribution scheme to reflect contribution and performance rather than rank, to prevent conflicts of interest and reduce discretionary power by department heads.
The NACC also recommends that the Customs Department create a centralized electronic database for bribe and reward payments. This database should include details of offenses and assets leading to the payments, aiding statistical analysis and asset verification by relevant agencies, and ensuring public transparency.
From 2011 to 2020, the Customs Department paid a total of 8,679.05 million baht in bribes and rewards to officials, distributed as follows:
