Corruption and political crisis threaten our chances of benefiting from
regional economic integration
New Year is a good time to start anew, but the arrival
of 2014 is a reminder that Thailand and our neighbours have just one year left
before the Asean Economic Community (AEC) hits the launch pad. For Thailand,
the ongoing political crisis makes the need for preparations more urgent. There
has been a lot of talk, but now it's time for actions that embrace the AEC. The
final countdown is approaching and any country with a good head-start will benefit
from the regional pact.
Economic integration is expected to improve
competitiveness by transforming the Asean countries into a single market and
production base. If Thailand is to benefit from the free flow of goods, trade,
investment, capital and labour, it needs improvements in key areas.
The challenge ahead has been made bigger by Thailand's
ongoing political crisis, while the government has done far too little to pave
the way for the AEC.
First and foremost, the country must sort out systemic
corruption across business and in government. We also need education reform, as
well as strong visions for business. All these requirements are interrelated
and must be executed simultaneously if we are to be competitive enough to
succeed in the AEC.
Corruption remains widespread and rampant, as
Transparency International's most recent survey revealed. Thailand fell from
88th to 102nd this year and now languishes behind four Asean neighbours -
Singapore (5th), Brunei (38th), Malaysia (53rd) and the Philippines (82nd). The
rankings plunge is an alarm bell for Thai authorities, who must now take act
serious actions to combat high-level graft. Among the most notoriously
corruption-tainted last year were the water management and rice-pledging
schemes.
Thailand could learn lessons from its neighbours'
successful graft-eradication programmes. But without genuine political will,
measures will remain ineffective. The anti-corruption drive must begin at a
structural level: laws must be clear-cut, giving the least room possible for
political exploitation. Graft-busters must be empowered, depoliticised and
given society's full support. Otherwise, the opportunities that arrive with the
AEC will pass Thailand by.
Like corruption, education in Thailand gets a poor
review. We rank worst among the eight Southeast Asian countries evaluated in
the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report for 2012-2013. The
frequent change of education minister and lack of visions have taken their
toll. Four ministers in the space of two years under one government has hardly
helped launched reform, let alone continue it.
Obviously, education in Thailand needs to be fixed
quickly and sustainably if we are to keep pace with our neighbours. That
English will be the official language of the AEC should also ring alarm bells,
with Thai students still lagging behind. Our future generations will need
English more than ever when free flow of labour puts them in direct competition
with their Asean peers.
More important still, our government needs vision. The
government often allows the private sector to take advantage of mega-projects.
Such practice breeds a vicious circle of nepotism, corruption and government
incompetence. For models here, Thailand need look no further than Singapore and
Hong Kong, where governments take the lead and gain great benefits from their
development plans.
But first and foremost, we must put our political
house in order. The consequences of failing to do so will be grave: Investors
will be scared away, while local businesspeople will suffer from lack of
guidance and support. It will be impossible for Thailand to take advantage of
the free flow of trade, investment, production and human resources if it
remains at its relatively low level of competitiveness.
Thailand has a mountain to climb. The AEC is a summit
worth aiming for, but only the strongest "mountaineers" will reach
the top and enjoy the great view. The question is, can Thailand shirk its
"sick-man" status quickly enough this year to ascend to the summit
and enjoy the benefits along with other Asean nations?
Business & Investment Opportunities
Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd (SBC) is incorporated
in Singapore since 1994.
No comments:
Post a Comment