Opposition urged to improve Integrity Commission declarations track record

-New Board to be established soon

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Hon. Gail Teixeira has called on members of the APNU+AFC Coalition, to improve their track record of submitting declarations to the Integrity Commission.

The agency’s $69.242 million allocation in this year’s budget was up for scrutiny during the Consideration of the Estimates today.

“I hope in the new year that the opposition members will improve their track record of the last 25 years of not submitting their Integrity Commission reports,” she said at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre today.

The Commission has a mandate to administer and enforce the Act which includes Code of Conduct, Declarations of Income, and assets and liabilities of officials in public office.

The life of the Board came to an end on February 21 this year. Minister Teixeira said the Government is in the process of appointing a new governing body.

She added that while a Board is not yet in place, the work must go on.

“The body still has to continue. The staff still has to get paid; they still have to function; they have to secure the documents. So that the Integrity Commission has expanded its staff including its investigators and they continue to function until the new board comes in. So, I do not anticipate that this will be a long time.”

The Integrity Commission Act of 1997 outlines that:

1. The Commission shall consist of a chairman and not less than two nor more than four other members.
2. The Chairman shall be a person who is or who was, or who is qualified to be, appointed as, a Puisne Judge of the High Court or any other fit and proper person.
3. The other members shall be appointed from among persons appearing to the     President to be qualified as having had experience of, and shown capacity in, law, administration of justice, public administration, social service, finance or accountancy or any other discipline.
4.  The chairman and other members shall be appointed by the President after consultation with the Minority Leader.
5.  The chairman and other members may be appointed as either full time or part time.
6. The names of the chairman and other members of the Commission as first constituted and every change in the membership thereof shall be published in the Gazette and in a daily newspaper.