Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
Govt. officials still required to declare assets – former Integrity Commission chair
Kaieteur News – Government officials and other public officers are still required to declare their assets even if the Integrity Commission is not in operation. This is according to former Chairman of the Integrity Commission, Kumar Doraisami.
The Office of the Integrity Commission
Mr. Doraisami was at the time responding to queries about a newspaper advertisement on Sunday which called for all public officials to submit their 2021 declaration of assets and liabilities by August 31, 2021.
The former chairman explained that even though the life of the Integrity Commission expired in February, the secretariat or office of the commission is still functioning. As such, he noted that as it is required by law, public officials should submit and declare their assets.
“The commission is not working but it is a legal requirement for all public officers to declare their assets annually, they can make submissions to the secretariat until the new commission is in place,” he said.
In the public notice, the secretariat of the integrity commission reminded that all specified persons in public offices are to take note of the outstanding statutory obligations to submit an annual declaration of their assets and liabilities including those of their spouses and children.
Those required to make submission to the Integrity Commission include the President, all Members of Parliament, Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Civil Servants holding office under the Public Service, Judicial and Legal Service, Police Service, Teaching Service and Statutory Authorities’ Service Commission, as well as members of the Diplomatic Service and Advisors to the Government.
The notice outlined that persons in public life who fail to submit the declarations to the secretariat will be subject to Section 22 of the Integrity Commission’s Act.
The last functioning board of the Integrity Commission expired on February 21, 2021. However, with consultation between the President and Leader of the Opposition lagging, the appointment of a new board in the near future seems unlikely.
Last March, Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira, told the National Assembly that President Irfaan Ali has already commenced the process of ensuring the Commission’s Board is reconstituted in the shortest possible time. However, she explained that should the President fail to find favour in the recommendations made by Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, he can go ahead and constitute a board of persons he reposes confidence in.
At the interim, a total of $62.9M has been allocated for the Commission. Teixeira said the monies allocated in the absence of a Board are to allow for the staff to be paid and the continued functioning of the Commission’s [office]. “It has expanded staff and investigators and they continue to function with reports received last year until the new board comes in… I don’t anticipate that this will be a long time,” she had said.
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