Reality check for SSF

The Social Security Fund (SSF), the largest welfare fund in the country, has never been far from controversy.

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In the past, there have been reports of it making opaque investments, mostly related to purchases of properties at inflated prices.

Meanwhile, the Social Security Office, an administrative body that falls under the Ministry of Labour, has also come under fire for its questionable spending.

One decision to splurge 35 million baht on uniforms for 7,000 employees that came to light recently has left society enraged.

The SSF is now a poster child for bad management, while the SSO is shaping up as a social villain.

This week, SSO executives have been trying to clear the air by talking to the media. But this is unlikely to quell public anger or foster better understanding.