Omar Anderson
, Gleaner WriterTHE CORRUPTION Prevention Commission has proposed the imposition of penalties on civil servants who are late in filing statutory declarations.
The proposal is among at least six recommendations made by the Justice Chester Orr-led Corruption Prevention Commission in its first annual report and presented to Justice Minister A.J. Nicholson. The Minister told The Gleaner earlier this week that the Government would be seeking to implement the legislative changes quickly as soon as Parliament resumes sittings early next month.
"We are looking at these recommendations with a view to implementing them if necessary, and at the same time, consider further matters relating to the International Convention on Corruption Prevention," he said.
According to Mr. Nicholson, the Commission also recommended a broadening of its powers, as well as the broadening of the definition of 'spouses' in the Corruption Prevention Act to harmonise it with provisions in the recently passed Property (Rights of Spouses) Act.
ANTI-CORRUPTION BODY
The anti-corruption body also recommended a widening of its powers to allow it to inspect documents in government ministries, agencies, and departments.
In 2000, Parliament approved the Corruption Prevention Act, which requires public servants to submit statutory declarations of assets and liabilities to the Corruption Prevention Commission. However, the Commission did not become operational until early last year.
Under the Act, public servants who earn $2 million per annum and above or occupy sensitive positions, are required to file declarations to the Commission.
Meanwhile, Wayne Jones, president of the Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), which represents the island's civil servants who are required to file annual returns, said yesterday that he hoped some of the association's issues would be dealt with in the recommendations.
According to him, the Act seemed to have an over-arching effect on civil servants who might not necessarily need to fall under its scope.
"There are some persons who, given where they are located, we don't believe they will be vulnerable to temptation of corruption and so we found the Act a bit too sweeping in that regard," he said.
Mr. Jones also noted that the JCSA took exception to the duress involved in filing of annual returns, which may require civil servants to pay for professional financial services in completing their declarations. He said he hoped the Government would reduce the bungling involved in filing returns by making it easier for filing.
"I am hoping that in this review, they (Government) are going to introduce electronic filing," he said.
