Why solutions are not being implemented

From these, numerous suggestions and proposals have been submitted and presented to the Cabinet and authorities, but without any perceptible improvement.

The question then is, why have the corrections not been effectively implemented? As a frequent principal adviser to Cabinet members and Parliament, with some understanding of the system, I would like to submit my viewpoint on the obstacles and impediments as well as possible solutions.

Seminars and brainstorming and focus groups provide useful venues to obtain facts and solutions from experienced and involved individuals. But to have them submitted successfully to authorities requires a well-organised logical presentation with accompanying data to clearly prove the correctness of the proposal. This requires a significant "last effort", which is often lacking.

It is easier and more entertaining to listen rather than to read and write. I have in the past been horrified to learn that departments have submitted erroneous information to their ministers and the prime minister by relying on spoken words and one-sided unsubstantiated documents, rather than wading through the multitude of documentation at hand for the actual facts.

Mistakes and blunders, at the national and international level, have been made because of this aversion to reading, seeking out and substantiating the facts.

House and Senate committees and other official committees often do not pursue and finalise the results of hearings.

The work then has to be done by part-time advisers.

"On-site" hearings are frequently junkets. Even in cases where a minister is sincere in seeking a solution to a problem, the effort required to coordinate and collaborate among departments poses an "insurmountable" effort.

But various systematic measures can be deployed. An independent watchdog organisation would be a first step. A responsible media with required quality and reliability would be effective. To enhance coordination, a liaison body with the required authority to follow up on various matters-in-progress would be necessary.

I have proposed setting up a special task force comprising officials from various departments and ministries "under the same roof" to work together in dealing with urgent issues. The special task force should be dismantled after the mission is completed.

Assistant Professor Anucha Chintakanond is a member of the working group of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council and chairman of Krung Thai IBJ Leasing.