Gov’t pledges stronger enforcement of Integrity Commission Act

Nov 06, 2024 News

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira (Gov’t pledges stronger enforcement of Integrity Commission Act)

Kaieteur News- In response to ongoing concerns over transparency and corruption, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, in collaboration with the Private Sector Commission, hosted an Anti-Corruption Workshop on Tuesday aimed at strengthening the Integrity Commission Act.

The workshop, held at the Pegasus Hotel Exhibition Centre was attended by representatives from 26 private companies and centered on the theme, “Collaborating with the Private Sector in Guyana’s Fight Against Corruption.”

In her opening address, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, highlighted the government’s stance on combating corruption. She stressed that the government is committed to a zero-tolerance policy against corruption, including anti-money laundering efforts, bribery, and other forms of transparency violations.

Additionally, the minister anticipates in building a new culture involving a corruption-free system with assistance from the government and private sector stating, “ a zero tolerance for persons who offer bribes or soliciting violations for the procurement act… we want the people to trust the system.”

Teixeira stated that the government is undertaking a comprehensive review of the Integrity Commission Act. The Act, which has been in existence since 1997, is being revised to introduce stronger accountability measures. “When we look at the Integrity Commission Act, people have felt they could disobey, that’s changing… people refuse to declare and honestly declare their assets,” Teixeira emphasised.

The minister went on to outline several key areas identified as weaknesses in the current legislation. Among these is the establishment of formal guidelines for electronic asset declarations, as well as the implementation of advanced cybersecurity technology to protect sensitive data. “The issue, as you know in the act is if they are persons found in questionable activities or questionable declaration, they have to go to police to investigate and the DPP (Director of Public Prosecutions) to advise on the charges to be raised,” Teixeira explained.

She noted that with the proposed electronic system in place, it would be much easier and faster to monitor compliance with the Act. “ I think as we get better and they are able to electronically store everything and access everything electronically which is what we are working on, it will be much less tedious and faster process of finding the people who have and have not complied with the Act,” she added.

Speaking to the media after her speech, Teixeira also highlighted one key amendment that would simplify the reporting process. Currently, declarations are made on a June-to-June cycle, which she acknowledged can be difficult for those making the declarations. “A simple amendment we are making is to align the reporting period with the fiscal year,” she said. “The proposal is that the same time you do your income tax, you would also report to the Integrity Commission, which will make it easier for declarants.”

Additionally, the government plans to strengthen other aspects of the reporting mechanism and is exploring stricter penalties for individuals who fail to comply with the law. One proposed measure is to publicly release the names of those who have failed to submit their declarations, which Teixeira suggested could encourage greater compliance. However, she also acknowledged that this approach might not work in all cases. “That will hopefully be coming before the end of the year into Parliament,” she said, referring to the legislative proposal.

(Gov’t pledges stronger enforcement of Integrity Commission Act)

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anti-corruption, Gail Teixeira, Integrity Commission Act, Workshop

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