Georgetown : The Integrity Commission of Guyana is currently under review with the intention of strengthening its role in creating a system of good governance. This is according to Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, who said that the review will be completed later this month.
“We are going to restart it, and we don’t want to restart it and it suffers the same fate as in its previous life, when people had little respect and regard for it. We want to ensure that it is nationally acceptable, and that public officials, whether they be Ministers of Government, judges or permanent secretaries and others, respect it and comply, so we are in the process of completing a review,” he explained.
Trotman is of the view that the formation of the Integrity Commission was a good idea, but there needs to be better implementation. “It is important that we have a Commission that is respected and is credible. That credibility comes by making sure that the right people are appointed on it, people who don’t have a political axe to grind. Also, when people submit information, that information should not end up in the hands of somebody and it is used against them as a weapon,” the Minister stated.
Trotman is committed to the process of ensuring that a strong and credible governance system is created by the coalition Government. He explained that a request by the Integrity Commission for information should be done fairly. “If I am asked for information, the other person should also be asked,” Trotman posited.
Trotman said that the government is currently examining ways to ensure that information provided is treated with the highest level of confidentiality. He noted that Guyana is not unique in that people all over the world are always reluctant to provide information on their incomes and their lifestyles, fearing that their privacy will be invaded and their information would be placed in the public domain.
Minister Trotman advised that Guyana is now part of a regional body, the Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions, which was established following a workshop in Grenada in July 2015. This, he said, will further strengthen the process and bring Guyana to the standard of international norms and conventions.
The Integrity Commission was created through the Integrity Commission Act which was assented to on September 24, 1997. The Act makes provisions for the purpose of securing the integrity of persons in public office. The Commission has the power under the laws of Guyana to do anything for the proper performance of its functions, and in discharging its functions. It is not subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority. The commission has the authority to regulate its own procedures and may make rules for that purpose.
Public offices and positions listed under schedule one of the Act should disclose their financial assets and liabilities on or before June 30, each year. When a public officer ceases to be a person in public life, he/she should disclose his/her assets and liabilities, to the Commission within 30 days from the date that individual ceases to be a person in public life.
