Asset declaration our future

Although the movement towards public asset declarations in Namibia is gathering steam, many of those whose financial statements would be made public remain suspicious and reluctant.
Members of parliament are required to declare their assets.
But the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) found that most of the 42 members of the National Council said they had nothing to disclose.
The IPPR said 418 of the 546 entries on the declaration forms that can be scrutinised by the public consisted of “nothing to disclose”.
“This is not to suggest that National Councillors were lying on most of these questions … but a more detailed look at the figures raises the suspicion that not enough is being declared,” the study found.
Following the unprecedented move by President Hage Geingob and his finance minister to open their books to public scrutiny, the IPPR says there are hints that asset declaration will attract more attention in future, and comprehensive frameworks need to be put in place.
At an IPPR presentation on the topic yesterday, Max Weylandt, a research associate, explained that asset declarations are the norm in many parts of the world and act as signal of transparency and trust.
Nevertheless, IPPR director Graham Hopwood said that despite invitations to a number of parliamentarians to join yesterday’s asset declaration debate, none agreed to join.
“They seemed very reluctant to get involved in this,” he said, adding that there are “no champions of asset declaration” in parliament, specifically the National Assembly, which has received low scores from civic organisations in terms of adhering to compulsory asset declaration systems currently in place.
Weylandt, who presented a briefing paper titled ‘Asset Declarations in Namibia: Towards a System of Open Governance and Ethical Public Service’, explained that well-implemented asset declaration systems boost public trust in government officials.
He emphasised that the majority of civil servants are interested in doing their jobs properly and asset declaration frameworks could help achieve clarity on what they can and cannot do.
According to recommendations made in the IPPR briefing paper, a number of steps are needed to unleash a culture of openness, in which civil servants feel it is their duty to be as transparent as possible.
According to the paper, asset declaration frameworks could be strengthened by an Access to Information law, plus improved legislation concerning conflicts of interest.
“A clear framework would help everyone, as there is not a lot of clarity for public servants on what is allowed and what isn’t,” Weylandt explained.
Ultimately, Weylandt said it is about establishing a culture of openness and public service.
“We want people to say, okay this is not fun, to declare my assets, but I am not here to make money, I am here to be a public servant, and this is part of that.”
The recommendations include improved legislative frameworks, investigating the scope of who would be affected by asset declarations, including the possible inclusion of senior judges, civil service managers and senior employees of state-owned enterprises.
An independent body should monitor compliance and effective sanctions should be introduced and followed through.
Weylandt said punishment should act as a deterrent against false disclosures and non-compliance.
He said the information should be easily accessible to the public. Although privacy is important, Namibians need to consider at what point public interest should override privacy concerns, he suggested.
JANA-MARI SMITH