Editorial

Public office holders to declare assets named

The Audit Service will in the 2019 financial year include public office holders’ assets and liabilities declaration in the audit.

A statement signed and issued by Ama Awotwe-Bosumafi, Assistant Director, Public Relations Unit, in Accra yesterday, said, the move was to ensure compliance of all public institutions with the provisions of Article 286 of the Constitution and Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998, (Act 550).

It explained that the legislations required that some public officers submit to the Auditor-General a written declaration of all properties or assets owned by or liabilities owed by him/her whether directly or indirectly before taking office, at the end of every four years and at the end of his term of office.

The public office holders required to declare their assets and liabilities include the President, Vice President, Speaker of Parliament and the Deputies, Members of Parliament (MPs), Ministers of State and the deputies, Chief Justice, Justices of the Superior Court of Judicature, Chairmen of Regional Tribunals, Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the deputies, and judicial officers including members of the regional tribunals.

The statement also named High Commissioners, Secretary to the Cabinet, Heads of ministries or government departments, chairmen, managing directors, secretaries and general mangers of public institutions, Governor of the Bank of Ghana and the deputies, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission and the deputies, Chairperson of the National Commission of Civic Education (NCCE) and the deputies, Head of Chancery of Ghana Embassy and Heads of Department of the Bank of Ghana.

Others mentioned in the statement were officers of the Armed Forces seconded to civilian institutions, members of tender boards of the central, regional and district assemblies, presidential staffers and aides, officers of the Police Service and Prison Service, District Chief Executives, Presiding Members and secretaries of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, Chairman of the Public Service Commission and the deputies and Head of the Office of the Civil Service.

It said that any public office holder who declared would be issued a receipt upon completion of the declaration.

The statement called on all stakeholders and the general public to comply with provisions in the 1992 Constitution and Act 550 accordingly.

BY TIMES REPORTER

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