[Photo/VCG] MACAO -- The graft cases of Macao public servants have decreased in 2018, but the cases such as fraud, document forgery and power abuse have increased, said a report issued by the anti-corruption watchdog of China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) on Wednesday. The 2018 Annual Report of the Commission Against Corruption (CCAC) of Macao said the CCAC considers it necessary to strengthen the sense of law-abidingness of public servants and the awareness of integrity and dedication of the leadership and management of public services. They shall not take advantage of their powers and positions directly or indirectly for private gain. In 2018, the CCAC received a total of 733 complaints and reports, of which 141 involved corruption and 592 were about administrative impropriety. Compared with 2017, there was a decrease in complaints and reports mainly because the Legislative Assembly election was held in 2017, when more complaints, requests for help and inquiries about the election were received. The report added that in 2018 the CCAC investigated a number of cases of fraud over government subsidies involving the Fund of Environmental Protection and Energy Saving and the Fund of Continuing Education, demonstrating the need for more monitoring of the grant of subsidies by the public services. In 2018, the CCAC completed two inquiries and published the Investigation report on the construction project at Alto de Coloane in February and the Investigation report on the vetting and approval of major investment immigration and technical immigration by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) in July, respectively. The report said the inquiry into the case of IPIM even revealed a crime allegedly committed by public servants in high positions, reflecting that the problems concerning loose enforcement of law and lack of supervision by some of the public services are so significant that they deserve great attention of the SAR government. custom goyard braceletbeing human wristbands buy onlineorder rubber bracelets cheapcustom braceletscustomize your own bracelets for couples
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha leaves Army Club after a meeting with political parties in Bangkok, Thailand Dec 7, 2018. [Photo/Agencies] BANGKOK - Thailand's political parties are now free to woo votes as part of their electoral campaigns ahead of a general election scheduled for Feb 24, 2019. In his capacity as chairman of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday lifted all political restrictions, imposed by the ruling military council over the last several years following the 2014 coup, to the extent that all parties can kick off their electoral campaigns by wooing votes from among constituents nationwide. The NCPO chairman's order to waive such restrictions was declared in the Royal Gazette issued on Tuesday with immediate effect. Prayut had earlier ordered a partial waiver to the political bans only to allow each contestant party to recruit party members, pick up electoral candidates, hold party caucuses or the party's executive board meetings, set up provincial branches of the party and make necessary preparations for the race to parliament. But they had not been allowed to do anything which might possibly be considered by the NCPO as vote-wooing activity until Tuesday. The political restrictions were entirely waived up on Tuesday, which marked the beginning of the enforcement of the constitution's organic law that governs the election of members of parliament and has passed a 90-days interval, according to Prayut. It remains to be seen whether Prayut will eventually accept to be named the top candidate for post-election premier as planned by Palang Pracharath (power of people of state) Party, headed by Industry Minister Uttama Savanayana as party leader and party secretary general Sontirart Sontijirawong, who is concurrently commerce minister. Two other ministers also concurrently hold the posts of a deputy leader and spokesman in the party respectively.
