New centre for coordination

THE government will set up the Community Organisations Development Institute (Codi) as a coordination centre between government agencies and non-governmental organisations concerned with social and rural development, a P M's deputy secretary-general says.

Amnuay Pratise said Codi, which would be set up by a royal decree following a proposal by the Finance Ministry, would be in charge of granting loans to NGOs and community-based organisations for social and community-development projects.

Amnuay said the council of social ministers would study the issue on Monday and the Finance Ministry was expected to propose the royal decree to the Cabinet for approval soon.

He said Codi was needed because the government could not act alone to initiate social-development projects.

''Codi will act as a centre to coordinate the work of government agencies and NGOs serving society,'' Amnuay said.

Amnuay said Codi would implement the government's social policies through NGOs and other community-development agencies.

He said the proposal had been approved by the previous Chavalit Yongchaiyudh government but there had a change of government before it could proceed further.

The deputy secretary-general said the Finance Ministry had proposed that Codi not be run like a bureaucracy for fear of red tape and a less than transparent working system.

''The Finance Ministry wants Codi to be a modern and compact organisation, run by a board. The state budget will be channelled to NGOs through this proposed agency,'' Amnuay added.

He said the royal decree would be based on the draft approved by the previous government.

Amnuay said Codi would take over social investment projects, which are now carried out by several government agencies such as the Office of Urban Community Development and housing-loan projects of the Government Savings Bank.

The idea to set up the institute was floated by Dr Praves Wasi, a respected social activist, in 1992 when the 8th National Economic and Social Development Plan was being drafted.

The idea was studied by several governments until the Chavalit administration made a draft of the royal decree and submitted it to the Cabinet for approval on April 17, 1997. The Chavalit government resigned in November that year before approving the draft.

According to the draft, the institute would support NGOs, especially those involved in helping the poor and underprivileged.

The institute would support NGOs in developing labour skills for the poor as well as improving their living conditions.

The institute would grant loans for NGOs with low income which have more than 35 officials and would provide training for such NGOs and other community organisations.

The institute's budget would come from assets and deposits to be transferred from projects for urban community development of the National Housing Authority and the Rural Development Fund of the National Economic and Social Development Board, as well as from the government's budget and financial support from other sources.

BY PIYANART SRIVALO

The Nation