Thai legislature urged to launch counter-check mechanism

BANGKOK, April 27 (TNA) - The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) has proposed that the National Legislative Assemble (NLA) set up a new unit tasked with launching counter-checks of government procurement plans to ensure transparency and financially-worthiness. A TDRI research director for economic system management, Deunden Nikomborirak, aired the proposal on April 26, in response to recent reports on the Thai government's new procurement plan on three China-made submarines, worth about 36 billion baht. Deunden stressed that the Thai government needs to inform the public of its procurement plans for counter-checks to ensure their transparency and worthiness, including those on national security purposes. Deunden told journalists that TDRI has earlier urged the Thai legislature to set up such the counter-check mechanism to examine the government's procurement plans to ensure their transparency and financially-worthiness, like an established mechanism in the United States, similarly to the preferred provider organization (PPO) in the health insurance system in order to ensure cost-effectiveness of a health insurance policy. (TNA)