Investigating the Corruption Method in Procurement Process within the Sub-District Administrative Organizations in Maha Sarakham Province

Abstract

Abstract

This study was conducted with three typical purposes to: 1) investigate the corruption method in the procurement process within the sub-district administrative organizations in Maha Sarakham province; 2) understand the attitude of the business owners and the local organization leaders toward the corrupted procurement within the province; and 3) look for proper solutions to prevent the corrupted procurement.
Particularly in this study, most of the participants were the business owners and the rest was the local organization leaders and the methodology was mixed between qualitative and quantitative researching techniques. The research tools consisted of the questionnaire and structured interview form; meanwhile, the data was statistically analyzed to define percentage, mean score, standard deviation. Content analysis was also applied. The study outcome was found that 1) the mostly corrupted method was found in “Price dealing” and next was “Privileged path”; 2) the attitude of the business owners and the local leaders toward the corrupted procurement was surprisingly low in which the highest score was rated on “Bid rigging” or collusion and the mediate score was given to “Mutual benefit” on some business that the officers may misuse their authority to gain their personal advantage; 3) the suggestions were given that (1) the government needs to
legally force those product providers to show the price of their products on websites and the cost estimate should be settled by the Comptroller General’s Department; (2) the office supply regulation should be revised that the inventory purchase should not be performed only by a sole leader’s consideration but to be approved by the rightly assigned commission; and (3) the office supply regulation should not ask for the presence of the buyer’s list so that the name of the document dealer or bidders will be unknown to the public in order to
prevent bid rigging or collusion. Keyword: Corruption method, Procurement