State oversight agency applauded by anticorruption department following tragic building collapse overseen by State Audit Office
In a recent development, the Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) has criticized the National Anti-Corruption Commission's (NACC) decision to award the highest score to the State Audit Office (SAO) in the 2025 Integrity and Transparency Assessment (ITA). The criticism stems from the disparity between the SAO's high score and the ongoing investigation into the building collapse that occurred on March 28, 2025, which resulted in 89 deaths and damages exceeding 2,136 million baht.
ACT's chairman, Mana Nimitmongkol, has expressed concern that the SAO's high score could damage Thailand's international reputation. He believes that awarding high scores without reflecting societal realities risks making the ITA a "deceptive award." Nimitmongkol emphasized that public faith in oversight bodies is essential to combating corruption, and he underscored the need for transparency and fairness in the SAO's investigation of the building collapse.
The criticism comes despite the fact that the SAO received this award among independent constitutional organizations. However, ACT has called on the NACC to review its ITA criteria to focus more on verified outcomes, public impact, and organizational credibility rather than self-reported documents. This call for a review remains, with ACT emphasizing the importance of these factors in assessing the integrity and transparency of government agencies.
Moreover, ACT has pointed out a growing disparity between the rising ITA scores of government agencies and worsening corruption conditions in Thailand. The concern about the SAO's high score damaging Thailand's international reputation remains, as the country's declining ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) reflects this disparity.
In response to the criticism, the SAO has yet to demonstrate transparency or accountability in the investigation of the building collapse. As a result, ACT is refusing to accept the SAO's commendation until the building collapse investigation is completed and publicly recognized for transparency and fairness.
The criticism by ACT could potentially lead to a discussion or review of the ITA scoring system and the transparency of the SAO. This discussion could focus on verified outcomes, public impact, and organizational credibility, as advocated by ACT, to ensure that the ITA accurately reflects the integrity and transparency of government agencies.
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