NRC approves decentralisation, local administration idea

The main point of the approach, proposed by Pongpoyom Wasapooti, chairman of the Local Administration Reform Committee, was to strengthen the people.

Pongpoyom said it was aimed at boosting people’s participation in the local administration and allowing them to check the work of the agencies, some of which might be abolished or merged with others. The report also sought to address the people’s access to public services, he said.

Pongpoyom reiterated that the report would clarify the relations between central, regional and local administrations. The approach would also increase the capabilities of the local administration in effectively and conclusively providing public services in order to respond to the people’s needs, he said.

Thus, local administrations should be more independent in meeting the needs of the local people. 

The council members also proposed that the provision of budget should be carefully watched and it should be proportional with the duty and mission of each area. Equality and equity should be well considered.

They also asked that officials working in the local administrations be granted opportunities to improve their capabilities so they could work better with the public.

Regarding repositioning and recruitment of officials, they suggested that ethics and justice be considered as the main principles.

Prasert Chitapong, a reformer, also said the new approach would result in the reduction of vote-buying and election fraud as the number of local administrations decreased.

However, some of the members also raised concerns about the corruption that might take place when the local administrations became more independent and cautioned that the involved agencies should look into this aspect.

The report will be forwarded to the Cabinet after the panel finishes the minor adjustments proposed by the reformers.