— but only for short while

Hundreds of senior public officials escaped yesterday, the requirement by law to declare their assets for the year 2002, as initially required by the Integrity Act. However, this will only be shortlived.

Their escape yesterday came via a loophole  created by Government’s failure to have the declaration forms approved by both Houses of Parliament before Sunday’s deadline for filing declarations. However, Government is seeking to rectify the situation by amending the Act to make the declarations retroactive. The last time persons under the Integrity Act declared their assets to the Integrity Commission was in 1999. Although the forms were recently brought to Parliament, it was too late for senior public officials to declare their assets before Sunday’s deadline. According to the Integrity in Public Life Act, a person in public life must declare his/her assets within three months of entering office and subsequently on May 31 every year.

The Act allows the Integrity Commission the authority to extend that time by a period not exceeding six months. Government is now required to amend the Integrity Act to make the declaration of assets retroactive to the year 2000, and to also give the Commission the authority to extend the period of time for declarations. Prime Minister Patrick Manning has also given the Government’s commitment to amending the Act. Persons required to declare their assets include all members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, members of the Tobago House of Assembly, judges and magistrates, as well as members of Statutory Authorities.

According to the declaration forms, these persons must declare eight different sources of income including salaries, benefits from employment and income from dividends. They are also required to state the value of their property, unit trust and mutual funds, company shares, stock and life insurance policies under Assets. The office of the Attorney General has stated that the expiration of the date will not be significant when government amends the Act.