Anti-corruption body to save Bt142 billion through anti-graft tools
The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand has expressed confidence that the government would save up to Bt142.76 billion thanks to two anti-graft mechanisms.
Vichai Assarasakorn, vice president of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and of the anti-corruption organisation, said the two tools were initiated through cooperation between the Comptroller General’s Department and the private sector and have been in use since 2015.
By the end of this year, the two tools – the IP (Integrity Pact) and the CoST (Construction Sector Transparency Initiative) – would help the country prevent losses of Bt142.76 from corruption, Vichai said.
He said the IP tool would help the country save Bt97 billion and the CoST tool BtBt37.45 billion and added that the two tools use some 230 voluntary observers to monitor projects to prevent corruption.
The success of the two tools prompted the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand to plan to expand their use to other mega government projects.
Yanee Saengsrichan, an advisor to the financial system development of Comptroller General’s Department, said that since the IP and CoST projects came into effect in 2015, they have saved the government some Bt83.138 billion that might have been wasted in pay offs.
