Govt looks for new lottery chief despite union protests
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Board blamed for move, letter to PM
The Finance Ministry will pick a new chief of the Government Lottery Office (GLO) despite trade-union protests against the removal of the current director-general.
Areepong Bhoocha-oom, the ministry’s permanent secretary, said after the GLO’s board meeting yesterday that the procedure to recruit a new chief would be accelerated.
Hundreds of members of the GLO trade union rallied at ministry headquarters demanding that the office reverse its decision to fire Somchart Wongwattanasarn as director-general.
Protesters led by union chairman Amnuayporn Kerdpum also called for the removal of Areepong as chairman of GLO’s board, blaming him for what they called the unfair removal of Somchart.
Areepong said the board had assigned Pol Maj-General Surasit Sangkhaphong to chair a committee responsible for recruiting a new director-general of the GLO.
The board also agreed to limit the authority of the outgoing director-general, banning Somchart from approving any spending or staff appointments without asking permission from the board first, Areepong said.
The removal of Somchart will take effect 30 days after he received the board’s letter last Wednesday cancelling his employment contract on the grounds of poor performance.
Amnuayporn said protesters would rally again at the Finance Ministry and would also send a letter of protest to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
He also called for the ministry to resolve the issue of high lottery-ticket prices.
Some protesters suspect that new senior officials at the Finance Ministry want one of their own people to head the GLO, a source said. In the past, politicians have often been accused of exploiting the GLO by diverting its funds to benefit their political base.
Last year, the GLO transferred Bt14.63 billion to state coffers, representing 28 per cent of its lottery-ticket sales. It also donated Bt490 million to charities to supporting social works.
Lottery prizes account for 60 per cent of its costs and administrative expenses 12 per cent.
