Executive

Haiti: Members of Government Risk 25% Pay Reduction

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (defend.ht) - The Director General of the Unit Fighting Corruption (ULCC) in Haiti revealed that out of 38 members of the government, only two, the prime minister and a secretary of state, have filed their assets in accordance to the law. The DG added that those government executives who have not filed face a 25% reduction in pay.

"To promote transparency in the management of public affairs," the law requires members of the Haitian government to declare their assets to the Court of Auditors. The president, prime minister, senators, deputies, judges and more, are required to report to the court, homes owned, businesses owned and bank balances, among other items of wealth.

"Officials subject to this formality will declare their assets within thirty days after they have been appointed to office and thirty days after they are released from office," said Amos Durosier ULCC Director General.

Durosier told Le Nouvelliste , out of thirty-eight (38) members of the government's cabinet; this is a prime minister, eighteen (18) ministers, nineteen (19) secretaries of state, only the prime minister has declared assets with the clerk along with a secretary of state. None in the council of ministers, none of the departmental delegates as well.

Durosier found that last year, "only 35 deputies [out of 99] and 12 senators [out of 30] of the 48th Legislature made ​​their declaration of assets" and that in 2011 it has gotten worse. In the 49th Legislature, "only two deputies and one senator have completed the forms developed by the ULCC and that must be filed in the court of first instance," Durosier said.

The newly installed Minister of Justice, Michel Brunache, Minister of Culture and Communication, Pierre-Raymond Dumas, and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Pierre-Richard Casimir receive a pass only haven been installed earlier in the week.

Durosier told the newspaper that the government heads, members of parliament and even some members of the judiciary face having their salaries reduced by 25%.

"Any person subject to the declaration of assets that has maturity of 30 days will in 3 months be provided a reminder by a bailiff notified at the instance of the ULCC, that he had not completed this step, the person will be deprived of one fourth (quarter) of their salary," warns Amos Durosier.

"If this law is applied literally, almost all ministers, secretaries of State and Director General ... in office since October 19 at risk of having their checks reduced by 25%. The law should be applied by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which issues checks of government officials," indicated Durosier.

"A false declaration of assets is also punishable by law," the Director took care to note. "If a forger be exposed, this is a punishable penalty under the Penal Code dealing with forgery."