Henry Charles Calls for Compliance with Integrity Commission Filings

Transparency in public office is back under the spotlight after a social media post by Infrastructure Minister Julius Espat highlighted his latest declaration to the Integrity Commission, his fourteenth submission to date. But how consistent are other elected officials when it comes to meeting that same obligation? Today, we put that question to Minister of Public Service and Disaster Risk Management, Henry Charles Usher, asking whether he is up to date and whether the system in place is doing enough to hold public officials accountable.

 

Shane Williams

“Are you up to date?”

 

Henry Charles Usher, Area Representative, Fort George

 ”I am perf – I’m up to date and I was on time. The Integrity Commission filings are due on March first of each year, so I was on time. I didn’t have to ask for an extension.”

 

Shane Williams

“And do you – leading up to that, do you believe that the Integrity Commission has the enforcement capability and is holding others to account? We know that village councilors, town. councilors, city councilors also have to report. What – how will we help the Integrity Commission?”

 

Henry Charles Usher

“I don’t think it’s village councilors. I know town and city councilors have to also submit filings. Elected representatives, members of the Senate and their families – I have to submit one for my wife as well. I think that the law, the legislation is there to hold public officers to account. Remember this is to look at the – it is part of the good governance for elected officials to make sure that they produce these filings every year. It has to be done on time. We know in the past, certain persons did not submit these filings. They had to ask for extensions. I’m hoping that everybody makes sure that they follow the regulations and they submit on time.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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