Thailand's CSI improves in first half of 2018

BANGKOK, August 16 (TNA) - The Bangkok-based Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) say their latest co-survey has found that the Corruption Situation Index (CSI) of Thailand improved during the first half of this year, when compared to the country's CSI during the second half of last year. UTCC Rector Saowanee Thairungroj0 told journalists on Thursday that Thailand's CSI in the first half of 2018 increased to the 55 level, from the 52 level found in the second half of 2017. Saowanee stated that the TCC-UTCC latest co-survey was conducted when the Thai government was finding a solution to the corruption problem in some Buddhist temples and preparing for its enactment of a new anti-graft law. Saowanee noted, however, that an alleged corruption case involving the 7-billion baht-procurement of the THEOS-2 survey satellite of the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) will be included in the next survey. The UTCC rector pointed out that Thailand's CSI in the areas of problems and violence of corruption, suppression of curruption and prevention of curruption all improved during the first half of this year to the 48, 55 and 54 levels, from the 42, 53 and 53 levels respectively during the second half of last year. Besides, Thailand's CSI in the areas of the development of ethics and proper conscious minds among the public best improved in eight years during the first half of 2018 to the 64 and the 68 levels, from the 62 and 66 levels respectively during the second half of 2017. The UTCC rector acknowledged that Thailand's CSI in corruption tolerance among the public declined to the 1.87 level during the first half of 2018, from the 2.03 level during the second half of 2017, while the co-survey also found that 54 per cent of respondents considered sound efficiency for the anti-graft performance of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) and 31 per cent viewed the moderate efficiency in the proformance of the national anti-graft panel. According to the UTCC rector, the latest co-survey found that major causes of corruption in Thailand included loopholes during red-taped procedures in the bureaucratic system and the loose law enforcement. The UTCC rector revealed that the co-survey found most corruption cases during the first half of this year included bribes, gifts and rewards. Meanwhile, Thanawat Phonvichai, Director of the UTCC's Center for Economic and Business Forecasting projected, meanwhile, that Thailand's corruption situation and CSI should further improve in 2019. (TNA)