Comply with assets declaration law – Speaker advises MPs

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has advised Members of Parliament (MPs) to strictly comply with the asset declaration law to hold members of the Executive accountable.

“Parliament must be open, transparent and accountable to the people, as the saying goes, charity begins at home, as the Constitutional and Legal Head of the institution of Parliament, I pledge to lead this effort by example so we can hold the Executive accountable,” he pointed out.

According to him, he would take up the role together with the leadership of the House to initiate discussions with relevant state actors to put in place measures and systems to ensure all MPs and staff of Parliament comply with the declaration of assets, tax obligations and honour all outstanding issues of overpayment and underpayment reported on by the Auditor-General, from 2001 to 2008 and 2009 to 2016 which processes begin soon.

“Sooner than later, members will be informed through the usual channels about how this will be done, the proposal is to put a team in place to liaise with the state and non-state actors to smoothen the compliance of the initiative, Parliament in its second session will take further vigorous steps to strengthen the hand of the House to hold government and state institutions accountable for the people for the power, trust, resources, hope and aspirations reposed in us.

“The Executive President assisted by cabinet and state shall be called upon to account for the stewardship of the country to succeed to implement this agenda, a mechanism will be put in place to ensure MPs who received double salaries refund the monies to the state,” Mr Bagbin assured.

On his part, the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also asked for review of the asset declaration law to rope in Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) and other public officials such as; the Council of State and Special Prosecutor.

He explained that the assets declared per the 1992 Constitution Article 205 had to be lodged with the Auditor-General and the rationale for it was for the Auditor-General to interrogate assets acquired by public officers.

“Unfortunately, the construct of the Constitution is such that once they are lodged with the Auditor-General, he is disabled from opening the assets so declared, to ensure that people who have acquired assets respond to their tax liabilities.

“It is the reason why the assets are lodged with the Auditor-General, for whatever reason, our Constitution threads on a different path, deposit it with the Auditor-General and that is the end of it,” Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu indicated.