Asia-Pacific News
Flood disaster worsened by corruption, Thai business leaders say
Dec 11, 2011, 3:14 GMT
Bangkok - Thailand's flood disaster has been made worse by government corruption, business leaders have complained, a news report said Sunday.
Thai Chamber of Commerce chairman Pongsak Assakul was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying the flooding was one of the worst crises ever to hit the kingdom.
'And state corruption made it worse,' he said.
The government's Flood Relief Operations Command has been accused of corruption related to its management of donated items and its purchase of relief supplies.
Members of the chamber agreed at a meeting Saturday that they would no longer pay bribes to state officials and they would closely monitor government projects for corrupt practices.
The chamber also declared September 6 as Corruption Suppression Day.
The date commemorates the death on September 6 of Dusit Nontanakorn, who spearheaded several anti-corruption campaigns in recent years.
Overall, Thailand sustained about 21.3 billion dollars in flood damage, according to the World Bank, while 689 people have died in flood-related incidents since July 25.
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