Enhancing governance in Thailand

The Peace pillar of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development encompasses a diverse range of issues including stability and effective governance. Reforming the public sector is high on the government’s agenda, but involves a number of challenges: the gap between planning and implementation of policy objectives remains large; insufficient public participation in policy making is undermining the efficient allocation of resources toward public needs and development goals; under-development of evidence-based regulations is hampering the creation of a business-friendly environment essential to high value-added activities; and high levels of perceived corruption are weakening business confidence and public trust in the government. Thailand’s 12th Economic and Social Development Plan emphasises the importance of public sector reform. It sets out measures to strengthen co-ordination across ministries and agencies aimed at improving implementation of policy programmes, boosting public participation in policy making, improving online access to government services and combating corruption by strengthening integrity measures. The upcoming 20-year National Strategy and the accompanying National Reform Plan are expected to pave the way for future development. However, an inclusive and consultative process will be essential to ensure the success of reform efforts. This Working Paper relates to the Initial Assessment report of the Multi-dimensional Country Review of Thailand. (http://www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/multi-dimensional-review-thailand.htm)