7th Seminar of Institute for Comparative Studies in Local Governance (COSLOG) Graduate Institute of Policy Studies (GRIPS), Tokyo, JAPAN on March 17, 2009 The Effect of Decentralization on Phitsanulok City of Thailand: Transitional period from Mechanical Politics to Good Governance Achakorn Wongpreedee GSPA , NIDA, Bangkok, Thailand [email protected] 1 Outline 1. Decentralization and local government in Thailand (1992 -2008) 2. The Effect of Decentralization on 2.1 Local Authorities, Local Personnel, and Local Finance 2.2 Structure of political power in a provinces 2.3 City ’ s management (Case study of Phitsanulok City) 3. Argument 2 1 1. Decentralization and local government in Thailand (1992 -2008) 3 Decentralization in Thailand during 1992 – 2007 1992 1994 1997 1999 2000 2007 Bloody May Incident TAO law constitution Decentralization Act of 1999 -Direct election of all local administrators -Promote “Good Governance” Constitution4 2 Before decentralization Prime Minister People The cabinet elect Ministries MP Departments ex-officio Governor Provincial Administrative control District chiefs Organizations (PAO) Tambon chiefs Municipalities Village chiefs Sanitary districts ex-officio = Central government = Local government organizations (LGOs) 5 After decentralization Prime Minister People elect The cabinets elect MP elect Ministries elect Departments Governor Provincial Administrative Organizations District chiefs (PAO) Tambon chiefs Municipalities Village chiefs Tambon Administrative Organization (TAOs) = Central government = Local government organizations (LGOs) 6 3 Number of Local Government Organizations in 2008 Local government organizations Number 1. Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) 75 2. Municipality 1,162 - City municipality (Big urban city) 22 - Town municipality (Medium urban city) 120 - Tambon municipality (Small urbal City) 1,020 3. Tambon Administrative Organization (TAO) 6,616 (Rural) 4. Pattaya (Special big urban city) 1 5. Bangkok (Metropolis) 1 Total (September 11, 2008) 7,855 Source: http://www.local.moi.go.th/local_sub2 .htm (accessed September 19, 2008) 7 2. 1 The Effect of Decentralization on 2.1.1 Local Authorities 2.2.2 Local Personnel 2.3.3 Local Finance 8 4 2.1.1 Decentralization of authority 1. Provision of fundamental infrastructure 2. Quality of life enhancement 3. Community organization and A school was transferred to be peace keeping under a control of PAO : Aug 2006 Buri Ram 4. Planning and promoting investment, trade and tourism 5. Management and preservation of natural resources and environment: A provincial bus terminal was transferred to 9 be under Municipality : Sep 2005 Buri Ram 」」」 2.1.2 Decentralization of personnel Number of local government officials, 1995 and 2004 Category of Thai 1995 2004 Increase percent bureaucracy Total local officials 57,115 100,208 43,093 75 Bangkok Metropolitan 30,063 31,409 1,346 5 Administration (BMA) Provincial Administrative 27,052 68,7 99 41,747 154 Organizations (PAO), Tambon Administrative Organizations . (TAO), Municipalities Source:http://www.local.moi.go.th/civil%20service%20taskforce.pdf (September 29, 2006) for FY2004, and Anek Laothammatas (2002) Hetyuti thongthin: panha kanmuang kanpokkrong radapchat thi mi sahet machak kanpokkrong thongthin thi mai phiangpho (Bangkok: Sun suksa lae phattana thongthin) P.7-8 for FY1995 10 5 Number of LGOs and local personnel in 2006 No of General Teachers Employees Total LGOs officials PAOs 75 5,639 - 2,647 8,286 Municipals (include Pattaya 1,159 23,368 13,731 16,572 53,671 City) TAOs 6,620 26,061 - 8,586 34,647 Bangkok Metropolitan 1 18,040 13,369 34,303 65,712 Authority (BMA) Total 7,855 73,108 27,100 62,108 162,316 Source: http://www.local.moi.go.th/local_sub5 .htm (September 24, 2006) 11 Number of LGOs and actual number of executives and councilors (except Bangkok and Pattaya) (on March 1, 2006) Provincial Municipalities Tambon Administrative Total Provinces Administrative (Cities- Urban area) Organizations (TAOs) Organizations (PAOs) (Rural area) Exe coun Total Exec council Total Execu councilor Total cuti cilors utive ors tives s ves s 1. Buri 9 42 51 43 285 328 183 4,932 5,115 5,494 Ram 2. Pathum 8 30 38 22 193 215 118 792 910 1,163 Thani Other 73 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. provinces Total 619 2,250 2,869 1,974 13,582 15,556 7,835 140,545 148,380 166,805 75 provinces Source: Data from Bureau of Local Personnel System Development, DOLA 12 6 2.1.3 Fiscal decentralization Proportion of LGOs revenues and National revenues (million baht) Fiscal Year LGOs revenue National revenues LGOs % of total 1996 60,663 850,458 7.13 1997 93,349 843,542 11.07 1998 103,604 733,136 14.13 1999 105,036 708,826 14.82 2000 99,802 749,948 13.31 2001 154,633 739,021 20.92 2002 176,803 803,651 22.00 2003 184,066 829,495 22.19 2004 208,851 928,100 22.50 2005 293,750 1,250,000 23.50 2006 327,113 1,360,000 24.05 2007 357,424 1,420,000 25.17 2008 376,740 1,495,000 25.20 13 Source: Ministry of Interior for FY 1996-2005 and FY 2006-2008 from Fiscal policy, Ministry of Finance Figure 3: Revenue of LGOs, FY 1998-2005 (million baht) 70000 60000 50000 PAOs Municipalities 40000 TAOs 30000 Pattaya 20000 Bangkok 10000 0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 14 7 Current problems of decentralization Problems between the Internal problems among LGOs and the central LGOs administration 1.Corruption, and 1.Strong resistance from certain sections competition for benefits of central 2.Imbalance in number of bureaucracy politicians and local staff 2.Fiscal decentralization 3.PAO large budget but failed to meet the light workload target of channeling (comparing with other 35 percent of public LGOs) revenues 15 Conclusion 1 LGOs have achieved considerable autonomy through 1.TAO Act of 1994 Decentralization of 2.Constitution of 1997 authorities, personnel, 3.Decentralization Act and budget to LGOs of 1999 4.Constitution of 2007 16 8 2. The Effect of Decentralization on 2.2 Structure of political power in a province 17 Electoral performance of PAO chairman candidates, by candidate type (2006-2007) New Former MPs and Local politicians* candidates relatives Region run elected run elected run elected Central 51 0 13 2 52 24 Northeaste 55 0 13 5 35 14 rn North 18 0 8 4 40 12 South 9 0 6 3 33 11 Total 133 0 40 14 160 61 Percent of 39.94% - 12.01% - 48.05% - the candidates (from 333 persons) Percent - 0% - 18.67% - 81.33% elected (from 75 persons) 18 * All local politicians elected are nominees of the MPs 9 Implication of the table Assumption of academics Decentralization will provide new local politicians with an opportunity to become LGOs through direct election But……in fact….. 1) Not a single newcomer (0%) was elected 2) Former MPs/relatives and their related local politics before decentralization era occupied all seats. 19 Reasons why influential family won 1. Experience in election 2. Local networks 3. Money 4. Controlling the Provincial Election Commission 20 10 Relationship between MPs (national politicians) and local politicians 1.Relatives, seniors and subordinates, friends 2.Exchanges of interests (reciprocal relationships) •money, projects, votes, budget, other kinds of interests etc. MPs PAO chairman National politicians City mayor TAO TAO Mayor 1 Mayor 2 Local politicians 21 Conclusion 2 1. MPs can control the powerful chiefs of LGOs 2. MPs can retain their influence by exploiting new opportunities after decentralization 3. Almost all of LGOs (PAO, Municipality, TAO) are Relatives, seniors and subordinates, friends or exchanges of interests (reciprocal relationships) money, projects, votes, budget, other kinds of interests etc. 22 11 Argument 1 (Conclusion 1+2) ► Even though decentralization caused changes in the legal and organizational structure (Decentralization of authorities, personnel, and budget to LGOs) ; it had very little effect on the power structure in the provinces. The MPs of the pre -decentralization era have increased their power and further entrenched themselves mainly through their preeminent ability to win a large portion of the vote. 23 2. The Effect of Decentralization on the Phitsanulok City, Phitsunulok Province 24 12 Phitsanulok City – The Place ►Located in Phitsanulok Province, 337 km. north of Bangkok ►nearly 29,000 households or 90,386 people, ►an average annual income of Baht 43,000 ►The city jurisdiction about 18.26 sq.km . ►The city rapid urbanization and economic growth in the 1990s. ►6 adjacent local government authorities called Tambon Administrative Organizations (TAOs ). 25 Phitsanulok City ► a hub of Thailand ’s Lower -North Region ► an educational center, it was the home base of three leading higher -educational institutes ► The corresponding demand effect on goods and services from in -migrants in sectors ranging from housing and apartments, to various kinds of commercial shops, to regional government offices (inclusive of the military (army) bases) ► Bustling and expanding activity in these and other fields continued to attract an increasing influx of number of highly -educated people. ► a major transportation center linking the nearby provinces and the center (Bangkok) with the Upper - North provinces ( Lampang , Chiang Mai, and Nan) by national highway, railway, and air transportation grids. ► a vibrant medium -size municipality “on the move. ” 26 13 City administrati ve structure ► Legislative 24 Municipal Councilors (directly elected from people) ► Executive a mayor (directly elected from people) ► Permanent officials a city clerk, municipal officials, and employees. ► There are municipality officials and is divided into 8 divisions: Office of City Clerk Office Public Work Bureau Education Bureau Technical services and planning division Public Health and Environment Division Finance Division Water Supply Division Social Welfare Division 27 City officials and People ► 235 common municipal official civil servants, ► 148 permanent employees, ► 569 temporary employees. ► the city administered five municipal schools, enrolling nearly 3,600 students and employing about 156 teachers.