The Anti-Corruption Organization of Thailand (ACT) has urged Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the Public Section Anti-Corruption Commission to impose “integrity pact” in a new round of auction to choose a new operator of duty-free shop at Suvarnabhumi international airport after the expiration of the existing contract in September 2020.

The current operator of duty-free shop at Suvarnabhumi international airport is King Power International group whose boss Vichai Srivaddhaprabha died in a helicopter crash last week.  King Power has clinched contracts to operate several airports in Thailand, including Suvarnabhumi, Don Meuang, Chiang Mai and Phuket.

ACT secretary-general Dr Mana Nimitmongkol said Friday that the auction to choose the operator of duty-free shop at the sprawling airport has always been a topic of interest of members of the public because the project involves the image of the country and revenue for the state, hence, the auction process must be transparent and warrants the use of the so-called “integrity pact” in the bidding process.

He maintained that the “integrity pact” was a measure to create transparency in procurement projects of state agencies which has been supported by the government as the measure was inclusive in the Procument Act B.E. 2560 to pre-empt corruption.

Under the “integrity pact” principle, three parties involving in a big procurement project such as the bidding for the right to operate the duty-free shop at an airport must sign a pact with a pledge that they will not get involved in corruption.

The three parties are the state agencies,, the private sector and the people’s sector in the capacity as the observer.