Former Auditor-General Daniel Yao Domelevo has kicked against the publication of official declaration of assets of public office holders in newspapers.
He described this as “too expensive and wasteful” given the number of officers expected to declare their assets.
“The publication in newspapers, I think, is going to be too expensive and wasteful because the list is very long,” he stated on TV3‘s National Dialogue held on Thursday, October 12.
He said while in office there were more than 50,000 on the list of officers to declare their assets, suspecting the number may be higher currently.
“When I was in office, we were trying to determine the number of people who must declare their assets. They are more than 50,000, so if you are to publish that in a newspaper, I don’t think anybody will have the time to do that.”
He suggested digitising this step by publishing on a website to save cost as the law stipulates publication but not clear on the medium.
“It is easier the law simply says that we should publish it on the website of the Auditor-General or any other website and then there will be a notice to the public that this has been published or press release,” he said, later adding: “I think that will be cost effective.”
The National Dialogue was held on the theme: ‘Fighting Public Sector Corruption in Ghana: Making A Case for an Effective Asset Declaration Law’.
The Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, who was also at the event, called for a review of the current asset declaration law, passed in 1998.
The Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification), Act 550, replaced the PNDC Law 280.
He conceded that Act 550 contains some “shortfalls” and “challenges”.
But he was concerned the review would have to go back to the same Parliament, whose members are part of those to declare assets, for passage.
“That’s the reason why we need to review that Act and when we review, it will go back to them and remember they are also part of the people who are supposed to declare their assets.”