ADB Inspection Panel Commences Next Phase

The Board Inspection Committee is a standing Committee of six members of the ADB Board of Directors responsible for reviewing inspection requests, recommending to the Board whether an inspection of a project is warranted, selecting a panel of independent experts from a Board-approved roster to conduct inspections authorized by the Board, and supervising such inspections. The Inspection Committee was established in 1996, after ADB's Board approved ADB's Inspection Policy. The purpose of an inspection is to determine whether ADB has complied with its operational policies and procedures in processing and implementing a project, and in the event of a noncompliance, whether this has resulted, or is likely to result, in direct material and adverse effect on the group that requested the inspection.*

ADB Inspection Panel Commences Next Phase

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (18 October 2001) - The Inspection Panel appointed by the Asian Development Bank's Inspection Committee to carry out an inspection of the Samut Prakarn Wastewater Management Project in Thailand will commence the next phase of its inspection of the project in the last week of October.

The Panel, which comprises Dr. Judy Henderson (Australia), Mr. Ping-Cheung Loh (Taipei,China), and Mr. Wiert Wiertsema (Netherlands), has reviewed documentation in relation to the inspection, and will start interviewing concerned persons, including the requesters of the inspection, at the end of the month. Interviews will be held in Manila.

Originally, the Panel's work plan envisaged a visit to the project area to meet with the requesters, other local communities and organizations as well as government officials for interviews. However, in accordance with ADB's Inspection Procedures, this visit could be undertaken only with confirmation from the government that it had no objection to the visit. On 11 October, the Inspection Committee was informed that the necessary confirmation, requested by the Inspection Committee on 12 July 2001, would not be forthcoming. As required by ADB's Inspection Procedures, the Panel has been requested to modify its work plan and conduct the inspection without making a visit to Thailand.

The Panel expects to complete its report by the end of 2001.

* The views in this News Release are those of the Board Inspection Committee, and do not represent the views of ADB's management or staff.