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22 Aug 2023
On 22 August, SweCham team members attended an anti-corruption event hosted by the Office of Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, also known as PACC. The focus was on the public service centre for investors and foreigners. Secretary General of PACC Bhumivisan Kasemsook introduced several issues and goals. Raising Thailand’s CPI Score, he emphasised the need to elevate Thailand’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score and that the PACC is committed to having a reliable Complaint Centre to improve foreign investors’ confidence by providing a dependable avenue for lodging complaints.
The Secretary-General shed light on a harrowing case involving a businessman who was extorted for multi-million Baht bribes to resolve his tax issues. Following a sting operation, the corrupt official was arrested and found to have amassed assets from illicit activities.
The panel discussion comprised leaders from the Thailand Chamber of Commerce, the Strategic Transformation Office, and the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority. They discussed:
Three Key Points: Inconvenience, lack of transparency and uncertainty.
Legal Reforms: The need for urgent law reform was highlighted, along with focusing on ease of doing business.
Public and Private Sector Involvement: Both sectors were encouraged to collaborate in the fight against corruption.
The panel discussion highlighted a few different Transparency Initiatives:
Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA): The BMA uses this website, traffy.in.th, to facilitate complaints ranging from corruption to noise.
ISO 37001: Implementation of an anti-bribery management system.
The Final Takeaways of the seminar are,
Individual Responsibility: ‘Silence lets corruption grow; see something, say something!’.
Continuity: Anti-corruption efforts must continue irrespective of who is in the government.
Whistleblower Protection: Safeguarding whistleblowers and encouraging reporting are crucial steps.
If you have been affected by corruption, please get in touch with PACC on Hotline: 1206#9 and Email investor.center@pacc.go.th
