Ministers or senior government officials should be held responsible for the rampant corruption in government sector procurement projects, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said on Friday.
The justice minister said government projects were presently governed only by procurement regulations, and that was not enough.
He planned to push for a procurement law that would require the relevant ministers and senior government officials to sign their names to orders for costly procurements, so it could be known exactly who was responsible for any subsequent corruption.
Gen Paiboon cited the corruption in the controversial 600-million-baht school futsal pitch scheme. He said politicians had only verbally ordered procurements, but officials at the operational level had to follow the instructions.
Authorities are now investigating substandard and overpriced futsal pitches at hundreds of schools in the Northeast.
The justice minister also said he agreed with the idea that government officials from C-7 or 8 level upwards should be required to declare their assets and liabilities, to contain corruption.