The government has come up with a long list of things to do over the next 11 months in order to achieve these policy objectives. If it can actually implement effectively within the tight schedule most of the measures announced, this interim administration should be remembered as a champion of ethics in Thailand's governance.

On December 21 and 22 the government will begin its offensive with a national conference of leaders and representatives of all 149 departments in the 20 ministries, as well as their provincial staff. There will be brainstorming sessions to come up with a draft code of conduct for all members of the civil service, while the current rules and regulations on administrative affairs will be amended to be consistent with the policy objectives.

By end of this month the government will also introduce a new inspector-general system. There will also be a 1111 hotline for ethics in government that the public can call with complaints about unethical behaviour by civil servants, tip-offs or other information that could expose corruption or other wrongdoing.

For the coming year the government's agenda is as follows.

January 2007: The government will facilitate the establishment of a national network of civil-society organisations to promote ethical behaviour and good governance in the public sector. We'll also see more public-relations offensives on this policy to change the public's attitude.

February 2007: The government will start a series of training programmes for those who want to be ethics counsellors in the public sector. It will also distribute ethics self-assessment questionnaires to all members of the civil service. By end of the month it will also allocate a budget for monetary rewards for civil servants with outstanding performance and ethical records for 2006.

March 2007: All state enterprises will have finished setting up good-governance audit committees. Bills to amend the law on administrative affairs will be submitted to the National Legislative Assembly for enactment. The half-year performance reports of civil servants will be reviewed.

April 2007: A centre will be opened for human-resource development and skill enhancement in the public sector. The first clinic for ethics will be opened to provide counselling to members of the civil service. Local government bodies such as provincial administrative organisations will follow the government's policy on ethical behaviour and good governance.

This month will also see the first public forum to evaluate the results of the policy.

May 2007: The government will hold the first ever ethics tests for members of the civil service nationwide. Inspectors-general and the PM's Office will present their first six-month audit on ethical behaviour in the civil service, covering the period from October 2006 to March 2007.

June 2007: Pilot schemes will be launched for civil-society organisations to audit the civil service. A set of key indicators on ethical behaviour in the public sector will be formulated for approval by the Cabinet.

July 2007: The Cabinet will be asked to approve a proposal for civil servants who are entitled to monetary rewards besides salaries (ie those working for the narcotics-suppression unit or the anti-money laundering agency) to declare their assets and liabilities publicly.

The second public forum to evaluate the results of the policy on ethical behaviour will be held.

August 2007: A new office will be set up at the Justice Ministry to promote ethical behaviour and prevent corrupt practices in the civil service.

September 2007: The second half-year performance reports of civil servants will be reviewed.

October 2007: Annual awards will be handed out to state agencies that have shown outstanding performance and ethical behaviour.

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

 nop1122@yahoo.com