Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday signed an order to set up a committee to monitor the performance of all government agencies and to push the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)’s strategies for national development.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon has been appointed chairman of the panel, and Somkid Jatusripitak, chairman of the NCPO’s advisory board, has been appointed vice-chairman.
The panel will ensure all government agencies integrate efforts to enforce the development strategies, which cover nine areas.
Apart from assessing government agencies, the panel will also propose solutions to aid in agencies’ progress.
The committee also has the power to summon government and private sector groups to clarify information.
It could also ask permission from the NCPO to hold a meeting between the council and the cabinet to consider approaches to increase an agency’s efficiency. “The panel will examine whether there is corruption, a lack of budget or lazy officers.
“All ministries must work harmoniously. In the past, the state sector lacked integration as officers from each ministry came from different political parties. But today there are no sides. All must follow and achieve the central policy,” said Gen Prayut.
At present, the government tries to improve the performance of the agencies in two parts. The first part helps smooth each ministry’s operation to achieve its mission under the Regulations of the Office of the Prime Minister. The second takes action in response to the premier’s policies such as unfairness, corruption, and the environment, including law enforcement. The new panel falls into the second part.
Gen Prawit was chosen to be the chairman because he is more familiar with the army officers and he and the cabinet can act in response to a policy framework. Also, he will now let each ministry declare their own working details to the media to improve public perception of how the ministries work, Gen Prayut added. Previously, the NCPO formulated the nine strategies with the aim of living together happily, equally and fairly.
The main strategies include creating fairness in society, the development of people for a sustainable life-long learning society, strengthening the agriculture sector, food security and energy security, economic restructuring for quality and sustainable growth, and networking with countries in the region for economical and social security.
The other strategies include sustainable natural resources and environmental management, making structural changes in the administration of state enterprises so that the public truly benefits from the services, improvement of telecommunication system and technology to be sustainable and on par with Asean and the international community and prevention and suppression of corruption.
Gen Prayut also remarked on possible irregularities in the way police have been appointed.
Gen Prawit is investigating whether bribes exchanged hands. He says appointment procedures are the responsibility of each unit, but a probe is underway.