– With amendments to strengthen the Integrity Commission Law

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira said GUYANA’s Integrity Commission Act, enacted in 1997, is an improvement that will promote stronger, transparent and more accountable mechanisms.
Legislative review is ongoing to facilitate the process of submitting income, asset and liability declarations.

Contacting members of the media on the sidelines of an event on Tuesday, Minister Teixeira said that several weak areas have already been identified.
For example, the Act will establish formal guidelines for electronic submissions and implement advanced cybersecurity technology to protect uploaded data.

“One simple change we are making is that you will be reporting from June to June, which is a very strange situation for declarants. So one of the changes we’ve made to make it easier for filers is to put it in the fiscal calendar year. The proposal is that you report as soon as you pay your income tax,” the minister said.

As a result, the ‘squeezes’ are tightening on those who hold public office and refuse to declare their assets honestly.
To further strengthen the reporting mechanism, Teixeira said tougher penalties are also imminent.

“If you are late in submitting or have not delivered, one of the views adopted by the Commission is the shaming and blame game; If we publish undisclosed names, it may cause them to be a little more sensitive and try to comply with the law,” Teixeira said.
He pointed out that many processes are expected to become more efficient as the constitutional structure transitions to a more electronic-based system.

The minister said: “I think as we improve and we can store everything electronically and access everything electronically, which is what they’re working on, it will be a lot less tedious and the process of finding out whether people have complied with the law or not will be quicker.”
He stated that these investigations will be presented to the National Assembly soon. The Integrity Commission Act, introduced in 1997, aimed to promote accountability and openness in public life.
The Integrity Commission, an impartial organization tasked with monitoring and implementing the Law, is established by it.

Increasing public confidence, promoting good governance and deterring corruption are the objectives of the Act.

According to the constitutional body’s website, the Commission conducts public outreach programs to educate officials about these requirements and the importance of maintaining integrity in public life.
The electronic system is expected to facilitate better compliance and monitoring of declarations and ultimately increase public confidence in governance.