The Former Auditor General, Daniel Yaw Domelovo, has made a strong call for a complete overhaul of Ghana’s asset and liability declaration system currently in place, questioning the viability of the system, given its nature, which is through a paper system and is shrouded in so much secrecy.
Mr. Domelevo noted that the current regime for asset and liability declaration is not robust enough and that it lacks the seriousness it should carry to command compliance by public officials who ought to declare their assets and liabilities.
He made reference to his own declaration as the Board Chairman of the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), which involved just filling a form and handing it to the Auditor General.
He questioned the outmoded process and argued that the asset in question should be verified by the Auditor General, but the current process does not allow that; he describes it as “a complete waste of time”.
“I am declaring my assets to the Auditor General by just filling a form and giving it to him, so that is my asset that he has seen. This is how we declared this? I thought you said I was declaring the car to you. I show you the car, is that not true? I said this is a complete waste of our time.”
Daniel Yaw Domelovo
Mr. Domelevo underscored the point that there is a need for reforms in the legal framework that underpins asset and liability declarations by public officials. For him, it is the legal process that will command compliance and should therefore be such that verification of declared assets becomes a requirement.
This, he says, will allow for the punishment of officials who fail to comply, stressing that these new reforms, when effectively implemented, will command compliance by those who ought to declare the asset.
“The legal framework I am talking about, that also must have to change so that there can be verification and then there should be consequences for non-disclosure so that people will comply and do the right thing.”
Daniel Yaw Domelovo
He noted that these reforms as necessary as he believes that asset and liability declaration with the Auditor General is a “big tool for fighting corruption”.
However, he noted that since the current system does not make room for verification by the Auditor General, there is sometimes non-compliance and such culprits do not face any consequences for such acts.
He further made the point that the current regime, which does not command compliance due to its inability to offer consequences for non-compliance, undermines the fight against corruption.
Abandoned Electronic Asset and Liability Declaration System
Mr. Domelevo, the Former Auditor General, disclosed that during his time as Auditor General, he and his team developed an electronic asset and liability declaration system which was intended to serve as the electronic platform for asset and liability declaration.
He noted that the said platform would have made it possible for officials to declare their assets online from the comfort of their homes. However, he lamented the abandonment of the said electronic system, stating that it has not being in use since he left office.
“I brought a team from the World Bank to do quality assurance, and they gave us a clean certificate of health that ‘your system is robust and good enough’ but unfortunately, since I left office, it has not been used”.
Daniel Yaw Domelovo
Mr. Domelevo expressed his believe that the online asset and liability declaration system would have set the pace for reforms and ultimately contribute significantly to Ghana’s efforts in the fight against corruption.
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