Asset declaration has become one of the key basis for ensuring public accountability, especially from public officeholders, and also for fighting corruption.

It is an act required by Ghana’s laws to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute people in the event of corruption.

In Ghana, two main laws have regulated assets declaration – Article 286(1) of the 1992 Constitution and the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998 (Act 550).

The assets declaration process in Ghana involves the public official declaring his or her assets, income, and liabilities on assumption of office.

The process is repeated after every four years and also, on ending the term of office.

The assets are declared and sealed until there is a need for them to be revealed for investigation purposes.

The eligible Public Office holders are expected to submit their completed Assets Declaration Forms to the Auditor General’s office.

These Public Office Holders are expected to declare their assets:

a) President of the Republic;

b) Vice-President of the Republic;

c) Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and a member of Parliament;

d) Minister of State or Deputy Minister;

e) Chief Justice, Justice of the Superior Court of Judicature, Chairman of a Regional

Tribunal, the Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and his
deputies and all judicial officers;

f) Ambassador or High Commissioner;

g) Secretary to the Cabinet;

h) Head of Ministry or government department or equivalent office in the Civil Service;

i) chairman, managing director, general manager, and departmental head of a public corporation or company in which the State has a controlling interest; and

j) The Governor, Bank Of Ghana, and his deputies

k) Chairman, Electoral Commission, and his deputies

l) Chairman, National Commission for Civic Education and his deputies

m) Head of Chancery of Ghana Embassy of Ghana High Commission

n) Heads of Departments of the Bank of Ghana

o) Officers in the Armed Forces seconded to civilian establishments and institutions

p) Members of the Tender Boards of the Central, Regional and District Assemblies

q) Officials of the Vehicle Examination and Licensing Division (VELD) not below the rank of Vehicle Examiner

r) Presidential Staffers and Aides

s) Officer of the rank of Assistant Inspector of Taxes and above in the Ghana Revenue

Authority or its equivalent in the :

t) Officers of the Police Service

u) Officers of the Prison Service

v) District Chief Executive

w) Presiding member and secretary of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies

x) Chairman, Public Services Commission and his Deputies

y) Head, Office of the Civil Service

z) Persons who are:

i) Heads of;

ii) Accountants in;

iii) Internal Auditors in;

iv) Procurement Officers in; and

v) Planning and Budget officer in finance and procurement departments of government ministries, departments and agencies, District, Municipal, and Metropolitan Assemblies:

-An Officer in any public office or public institution other than the Armed Forces the salary attached to which is equivalent to or above the salary of a Director in the Civil Service.

SSD/NOQ

Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.

Watch the latest edition of BizTech and BizHeadlines below: