The cabinet meeting on Monday 22, March has come to the following decision:
The Cabinet has endorsed and approved the following proposal by the National Committee on Public Sector Compensation: 1. The draft Royal Decree on Salary Adjustment for Police Personnel B.E. … and the draft Royal Decree on the Adjustment of Minimum and Maximum Salary for Teachers and Educational Personnel B.E. … which have been previously reviewed by the Office of the Council of State.
The Cabinet has acknowledged the progress report on the establishment of Mae Sot Special Economic Zone prepared by the Mae Sot Special Economic Zone Development Committee and presented by the Ministry of Commerce. The Department of Business Development reported that the expenses for the commissioning the design plan for the setting of the special economic zone totaling Baht 14,044,000 were incurred from the emergency reserves of the ministry’s expenditure budget for fiscal year B.E. 2554 (2011). The ministry will discuss the details of the reimbursement with the Bureau of the Budget. In addition, the Cabinet has instructed the Ministry of Commerce to take into close consideration the recommendations provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Labor, Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board, Office of the Public Sector Development Commission. Regarding the permission to use forest land for development purposes, the Ministry of Commerce will consult with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Ministry of Industry (Industrial Estate Authority Thailand) and report the matter to the Cabinet within a week.
The Cabinet has endorsed the progress report on implementation of the National Fundamental Policies by the Abhisit Vejjajiva’s Government during its 2nd year in office (30 December B.E. 2552 (2009) — 30 December B.E. 2553 (2010)) submitted by the Committee Monitoring Outcomes of Implementation of Government Policies. In addition, the Cabinet has instructed all ministries to thoroughly analyze the information and content of the report and report any amendment to the Secretariat of the Cabinet by 24 March B.E. 2554. The Secretariat of the Cabinet will be responsible for the printing and dissemination of the report, in both the English and Thai languages, to Parliament. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will oversee the English translation of the report. Printing and other related expenses, to be within a budget limit of Baht 2,200,000, will be drawn from the emergency reserve fund. The Secretariat of the Cabinet will coordinate with the Bureau of the Budget for the appropriation of the necessary funds.
The Cabinet has acknowledged and endorsed the following proposals by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ):
1. Working Guideline for the operational plan for integrated corruption prevention measures in government projects (preliminary)
2. Assign the Ministry of Justice (Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission) to accelerate its implementation of the activities under the initial phase.
Key points of agenda:
1. In accordance with the Cabinet resolution of 21 December B.E. 2553 (2010), the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (OPACC) has organized a meeting amongst relevant agencies to review the operational plan for integrated corruption prevention measures in government projects. The outcomes of the meeting are as follows:
1.1 Presently, public agencies are trying to incorporate preventive measures to safeguard against corruption and misconduct in their management of government projects. However, these individual efforts have been marked by a lack of unity and coherence. Therefore, the proposed integrated guideline aims to strengthen the roles of relevant agencies through better collaboration and allocation of tasks to minimize duplication of duties.
1.2 The Guideline on Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation of Corruption Prevention and Suppression in Public Sector is divided into three phrases:
1.2.1 Pre-implementation Phase
To evaluate the appropriateness of the project plan to ensure that necessary procedures/activities aimed at reducing corruption risks or misconduct before approving project. The Bureau of the Budget, Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board and the Ministry of Finance will be responsible for overseeing this phase.
1.2.2 Implementation Phase
To monitor that the outlined corruption risk management procedures/activities are being carried out accordingly. The Office of the Public Sector Development Commission and respective Ministry Inspector-Generals will be responsible for overseeing this phase.
1.2.3 Post-implementation Phase
To assess the outcome of the project implementation by carefully analyzing its effects and consequences and to review if the anti-corruption targets for the project have been fulfilled. The Bureau of the Budget, Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission will be responsible for overseeing this phase.
1.3 Government mega-projects should be chosen as pilot project for this proposed scheme.
1.4 The proposed scheme will begin implementation in fiscal year B.E. 2554 (2011). The Office of the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (OPACC) will be allocated budgetary appropriations from the Bureau of the Budget according to the budgetary limit and estimated expenditures (calculated) by the Sub-committee on Integrated Assessment of Moral and Ethical Standards in the Public Sector.
2. Relevant parties should accelerate the implementation of the following activities:
2.1 Preparation of order to appoint committee members of the Sub-committee on Integrated Assessment of Moral and Ethical Standards in the Public Sector in compliance with the resolution issued by the Committee on the Mobilization of Anti-Corruption Strategy in the Public Sector. The primary task to be carried out by the sub-committee is to connect the anti-corruption mobilization mechanisms as defined in the National Anti-Corruption Strategy for the Public Sector.
2.2 Sub-committee on Integrated Assessment of Moral and Ethical Standards in the Public Sector in Point 2.1 to present a draft operational plan devised from the outcome of a discussion meeting with relevant agencies as part of its proposed guideline to assess moral and ethical standards in the public sector.
2.3 A comprehensive framework comprising of the measures, methods, operational guidelines, project plans for activities to be untaken and budgetary requirements for the mobilization of the integrated anti-corruption mechanisms for government projects shall be presented to the Cabinet’s approval.
2.4 In the event of a need to employ services provided private organizations, the Sub-committee on Integrated Assessment of Moral and Ethical Standards in the Public Sector shall have the authority to draft the Terms of Reference (TOR) for projects and activities approved by the Committee on the Mobilization of Anti-Corruption Strategy in the Public Sector.
2.5 The Sub-committee on Integrated Assessment of Moral and Ethical Standards in the Public Sector shall submit its draft framework comprising of the measures, guidelines and methods for the public sector anti-corruption assessment mechanisms to the Committee on the Mobilization of Anti-Corruption Strategy in the Public Sector for its approval.
The Cabinet has given its approval to the proposal by the National Health Security Office to amend the Cabinet resolution of 14 March B.E. 2554 (2011) on the budget proposal for the Universal Health Care Policy for fiscal year B.E. 2555 (2012). The Cabinet has subsequently amended the total budgetary appropriation for the following five items to Baht 147,393,353,800 as follows:
1. The lump-sum budget appropriation of Baht 139,953,034,800 (or equivalent to a lump-sum appropriation of Baht 2895.60 per citizen) for 48,333,000 citizens presently eligible for the Universal Health Care coverage. The allocated amount does not cover future entrants to the scheme.
2. A health care service budget for 157,600 HIV/AIDS patients totaling Baht 2,940,055,000.
3. A kidney transplantation budget for 21,476 patients suffering from kidney failure totaling Baht 3,857,893,000.
4. A budget for the prevention, control and treatment of chronic diseases (diabetes and high-blood pressure) for 1,614,210 patients totaling Baht 437,895,000.
5. A health care service budget for 121,370 psychiatric patients totaling Baht 204,476,000.
--Cabinet Meeting (Abhisit Vejjajiva) March 22, 2011--