Regional News of Friday, 16 January 2009

Source: GNA

Businessman calls public declaration of assets

Techiman, Jan. 16, GNA - A Techiman-based businessman has called for public declaration of assets by politicians instead of the current practice where such assets are lodged with the Auditor General. Mr. Philip Kofi Ntiamoah said: "The declaration of assets should rather be lodged at the district offices of Internal Revenue Service, Audit Service and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice to facilitate the declaration of the documents". He told the GNA in an interview that accessibility of the assets declaration would help the public to provide information on the genuineness of the declaration to minimize corruption. Mr. Ntiamoah described as worrisome the current arrangement in which the Auditor General's reports and recommendations are made available to officials of ministries, departments and agencies. "We need an independent body to implement recommendations to the Auditor General", he said and called for a new system in which the Auditor General would issue its report to the police to prosecute persons who embezzle state funds to serve as a deterrent to others. Mr. Ntiamoah expressed concern about how some heads of departments use government vehicles to attend funerals and other social events especially during weekends and said "this is a drain on the country's economy."