Review Pending as Thai Community Development Project Runs Outside Its Scope.

Byline: Suphaphan Plengmaneepun

Nov. 9--All 6,340 projects registered under the One Tambon, One Product programme will be reviewed, as policymakers say the community development plan has strayed outside its stipulated goals.

The programme is aimed at promoting rural products and entrepreneurship. Community-specific skills, whether in handicrafts, food products or furniture, will be promoted using financial, technical and marketing assistance from the government.

But a lack of co-ordination among the 16 agencies related to the programme has delayed implementation. Many projects have also been found to be outside the original framework. For example, products already sold by private companies rather than those proposed by community groups.

Officials say that one problem has been that state agencies, whether under the Commerce, Industry or Interior ministries, have rushed to show results rather than carefully check whether proposals met established guidelines.

Other cases have emerged where a project was proposed by more than one agency, wasting resources and leading to overlap and communication difficulties.

Shopping malls nationwide have had to fend off numerous requests for assistance from different state agencies to distribute products, leading to uncertainties and confusion.