Public Offices in default – including several ministries – have been reminded by the Integrity Commission to submit their outstanding lists containing the names of all specified Persons in Public Life to the Integrity Commission’s Secretariat.
In a notice in yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News, the Commission said the list relates to the 2022 Declaration period starting July 2021 and ending June 30th, 2022. The deadline for submission of all correspondence relating to the outstanding listings is August 10, 2022.
According to the ad, the Public Offices in default are the Ministries of Amerindian Affairs, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Housing and Water and Public Works. Regional administrations for region 2, 4, 7, 8, and 10 have also been asked to submit their lists as well as state government agencies and departments such as the Burrowes School of Arts, Castellani House, the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Rice Producers Association among others.
All town councils with the exception of the Georgetown Mayor and Town Council were also asked to submit theirs along with the University of Guyana, the board of directors of President’s College, the Police Complaints Authority, the National Sports Commission, the Presidential Guard Service, the Supreme Court of Judicature, the National Sports Commission and the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority.
The Integrity Commission is the body that examines the asset statements of public officers in an attempt to maintain transparency and accountability in the public sector.
Based on the Commission’s website as of December 31, 2021, out of 1523 expected declarations, 569 were received and 956 were outstanding. In 2020, 671 out of 1302 submissions were received and 631 public officials did not make their submissions.
In 2019 there were 775 defaulters while 445 public officials complied with the Act.
Stabroek News visited the Commission’s office, housed in the Guyana Securities Council building at Lot 34 King Street, Lacytown, Georgetown in February this year and was able to speak with a female employee who appeared to be the receptionist and she related that the Commission is functional but all queries must be submitted in writing.
When asked about whether the public can access the submissions of officials, the staffer related that she was unsure but sought clarity from Secretary of the Commission Dr Amanda Jaisingh.
Jaisingh, through the employee, related that in order to access the submissions of a public official, one must come with written permission from the submitter.
In a separate advertisement in yesterday’s Stabroek News, the Commission reminded all specified persons in public life to submit their 2022 Declarations of Assets and Liabilities on or before August 31, 2022.
It noted that supporting documents also have to be provided. These include a copy of the income statement from the employer for the declaration period. A copy of rental agreements, a copy of transport/certificate of title and a bank statement as of June 30, 2022.
Specified persons in public life for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 were also reminded in the advertisement to submit outstanding declaration forms with supporting documents.
The Commission warned that persons who are non-compliant are subject to Section 22 of the Commission’s Act.
New members of the Integrity Commission were sworn in on May 31st this year after a lengthy delay. The board of the previous Integrity Commission expired on February 21, 2021
Business executive Chandra Gajraj was named as Chair of the Integrity Commission. The other members of the Commission are Dr Kim Kyte-Thomas, Mohamed Ispahani Haniff, Hardesh Tewari and Wayne Bowman.
