NACC Sa Kaeo Urgently Investigates Alleged Corruption in School Lunch Fund and Subsidy Disbursement

NACC Sa Kaeo Urgently Investigates Alleged Corruption in School Lunch Fund and Subsidy Disbursement

The Sa Kaeo Provincial Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has conducted a fact-finding mission following allegations of corruption involving the disbursement of funds for the school lunch program, educational subsidies for textbooks, learning materials, and student uniforms at Bansiyak School in Tha Kwian Sub-district of Watthana Nakhon District. The complaint alleged that funds were disbursed in amounts exceeding the actual number of students.

Mr. Pichet Pimpa, Director of the Sa Kaeo NACC Office, revealed that in response to allegations of corruption related to the disbursement of funds for the school lunch program, educational subsidies for textbooks, learning materials, and student uniforms at Bansiyak School of Tha Kwian Subdistrict in Watthana Nakhon District of Sa Kaeo Province, which involved claims of disbursements exceeding the actual student count, the NACC Office has undertaken a thorough investigation. The office has interviewed school administrators, teachers, and parents. It was explained that Bansiyak School is a small educational institution currently offering classes from Kindergarten 2 to Grade 6, with a total of 92 students. The school experiences a high turnover rate of students, particularly due to the large number of Cambodian children, who are the offspring of migrant workers in Thailand and frequently relocate with their parents.

The initial investigation by the NACC Office in Sa Kaeo Province highlighted concerns regarding the disbursement of funds for the school lunch program, as well as subsidies for textbooks and learning materials. The investigation is ongoing, and further actions will be taken to prevent any potential corruption. Additionally, the NACC has urged local administrative organizations with schools under their jurisdiction to adhere strictly to the anti-corruption measures outlined by the Ministry of Interior, which include:

1. Strict adherence to financial, procurement, and accounting inspection guidelines for educational institutions under local administrative organizations, as well as strict compliance with the financial audit guidelines for local government organizations.
2. To enhance transparency and foster participation in preventing and combating corruption in the school lunch budget, schools should publicly display the menu and the quantities of key ingredients used for meal preparation each day. This information should be made available to parents and students, either weekly or monthly, as appropriate.
3. School administrators should closely monitor the procurement of school lunch supplies within their jurisdiction to ensure compliance with regulations and laws. A working group should be appointed to conduct random inspections, or local administrators should periodically inspect the procurement process themselves.
4. The appointment of procurement inspection committees should involve the rotation and reassignment of personnel to perform these duties.

The NACC has emphasized the importance of all parties involved strictly adhering to regulations and legal provisions to mitigate the risk of corruption and ensure that public funds are utilized for the genuine benefit of the nation's youth, who represent the country's future.