Business leaders call for national anti-corruption centre

The private sector has proposed that the government treat corruption as a national agenda item and establish a national anti-corruption centre to tackle this deeply entrenched problem in earnest, Poj Aramwattananont, president of the Board of Trade and the Thai Chamber of Commerce said today.

The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and top executives from leading private-sector companies at Government House on May 15, aimed at brainstorming and gathering recommendations from the private sector to enhance the country’s economic competitiveness.

He said that corruption is one of the urgent issues proposed to the government by the private sector during the high-profile meeting on May 15 between the government and more than 30 top executives representing numerous business sectors.

In addition to the national anti-corruption centre, he said the private sector also proposed the establishment of a national anti-corruption committee, comprising representatives from all sectors of society, so that all stakeholders are involved in unified efforts to combat corruption.

He added that Thailand must demonstrate to the international community that it is serious about combating corruption to support its eventual accession to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

The private sector also wants to see an overhaul of the entire agricultural sector to increase productivity, reduce production costs, stabilise farm produce prices and increase revenues for more than 30 million farming families through the introduction of technology, innovation and efficient water management.

Another urgent issue is accelerating trade and investment, said Poj, adding that geopolitics and geo-economics are changing rapidly, making it essential for Thailand to adapt accordingly and seek new opportunities for long-term economic stability.