Public servants asked to disclose wealth by Dec 31
All government servants must declare the amounts of their wealth by December 31 as required by the government as part of its newest move to boost the ongoing anti-corruption drive through ensuring transparency in the administration.
The move requires public servants to declare the amounts of their wealth at the time of their joining the service and updating those every five year.
While issuing an order regarding the matter in the third week of this month, the establishment ministry circulated two tables one for statements listing movable and immovable properties owned at the time of joining the service and another for updating the declared list for preparing a central database of wealth of about 10 lakh public servants.
Meanwhile, there is a strong possibility of extending the December 31 deadline as the establishment ministry received a number of requests for the extension, according to reliable sources.
The Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979, which requires every government servant to declare his or her or any of the family members' movable and immovable properties at the time of joining the service, and an update showing any increase or decrease in the amount of the declared property every five years, has not been followed properly for a long time, according to the establishment ministry.
In the wake of the ongoing anti-corruption drive, Joint Secretary (Admin) to the Establishment Ministry Main Uddin Khondoker issued an order on August 28 asking all public servants to declare to the government through proper channels by December 31 any purchase and sale of valuable properties by them, construction of buildings on owned lands, and the amount of their wealth.
Establishment Secretary M Abdus Salam Khan issued another order on December 10 asking government servants to declare the amounts of their wealth in compliance with Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1979.
Talking to The Daily Star at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital yesterday, some officials said they were not aware of the government requirement at the time of joining the service. "No one told me about it then," a mid-level official of the establishment ministry said on condition of anonymity.
"Although many declare their wealth to the government at the time of joining or later, a large number however don't have their wealth recorded with the government," the establishment secretary told The Daily Star.
Public servants whose gross annual salaries are Tk 1.5 lakh or above are also required to file income tax returns using a Tin (taxpayer identification number) and must have their wealth recorded with the National Board of Revenue.
"But a large number of government servants whose gross annual income is less than 1.5 lakh taka, and who don't declare their wealth to the government in compliance with the 1979 Conduct Rules, have no record," an additional secretary to another ministry said, seeking anonymity.
And that is the main reason for many public servants to go untraced even after amassing a huge amount of wealth illegally, the additional secretary said citing examples of some metre readers of government utility agencies amassing wealth worth crores of taka.
"If we succeed, we'll have a database of wealth statements of all who are in the civil service," the establishment secretary said adding that the response so far is 'good'.
WHAT TO DECLARE
Immovable properties of government servants that need to be declared are cultivable and uncultivable lands, buildings, dwelling places, and industries.
Movable properties that need to be declared are jewellery, stocks, insurance policies, shares, cash and bank balances, motor vehicles, and electronic goods such as computers, televisions, air-coolers, refrigerators, ovens, etc.
The government servants will have to mention the dates of acquiring the properties, nature, position and volume of the properties, how and when those were acquired, the source of money with which they were purchased if applicable, and under whose name those are registered.
HOW TO DECLARE
The cadres and class I non-cadre employees will have to make the declaration to the secretaries to respective ministries.
Class II gazetted and non-gazetted employees, and class III and class IV employees of different ministries and departments and other offices will have to submit their statements to their appointing authorities.
Asked, whether those who are working in different offices under contractual appointments also must declare their wealth, a high official of the establishment ministry said, "We'll have to examine that."
Regarding whether those public servants who have been in the service for a long time without declaring their wealth at the time of joining, need to mention now the amount of wealth they had back then, he said, "Many might have forgotten what they had at the time of joining. We can accept their present declaration as a basis, but they'll need to update those from now on."
__._,_.___ The move requires public servants to declare the amounts of their wealth at the time of their joining the service and updating those every five year.
While issuing an order regarding the matter in the third week of this month, the establishment ministry circulated two tables one for statements listing movable and immovable properties owned at the time of joining the service and another for updating the declared list for preparing a central database of wealth of about 10 lakh public servants.
Meanwhile, there is a strong possibility of extending the December 31 deadline as the establishment ministry received a number of requests for the extension, according to reliable sources.
The Government Servants (Conduct) Rules, 1979, which requires every government servant to declare his or her or any of the family members' movable and immovable properties at the time of joining the service, and an update showing any increase or decrease in the amount of the declared property every five years, has not been followed properly for a long time, according to the establishment ministry.
In the wake of the ongoing anti-corruption drive, Joint Secretary (Admin) to the Establishment Ministry Main Uddin Khondoker issued an order on August 28 asking all public servants to declare to the government through proper channels by December 31 any purchase and sale of valuable properties by them, construction of buildings on owned lands, and the amount of their wealth.
Establishment Secretary M Abdus Salam Khan issued another order on December 10 asking government servants to declare the amounts of their wealth in compliance with Government Servants (Conduct) Rules 1979.
Talking to The Daily Star at the Bangladesh Secretariat in the capital yesterday, some officials said they were not aware of the government requirement at the time of joining the service. "No one told me about it then," a mid-level official of the establishment ministry said on condition of anonymity.
"Although many declare their wealth to the government at the time of joining or later, a large number however don't have their wealth recorded with the government," the establishment secretary told The Daily Star.
Public servants whose gross annual salaries are Tk 1.5 lakh or above are also required to file income tax returns using a Tin (taxpayer identification number) and must have their wealth recorded with the National Board of Revenue.
"But a large number of government servants whose gross annual income is less than 1.5 lakh taka, and who don't declare their wealth to the government in compliance with the 1979 Conduct Rules, have no record," an additional secretary to another ministry said, seeking anonymity.
And that is the main reason for many public servants to go untraced even after amassing a huge amount of wealth illegally, the additional secretary said citing examples of some metre readers of government utility agencies amassing wealth worth crores of taka.
"If we succeed, we'll have a database of wealth statements of all who are in the civil service," the establishment secretary said adding that the response so far is 'good'.
WHAT TO DECLARE
Immovable properties of government servants that need to be declared are cultivable and uncultivable lands, buildings, dwelling places, and industries.
Movable properties that need to be declared are jewellery, stocks, insurance policies, shares, cash and bank balances, motor vehicles, and electronic goods such as computers, televisions, air-coolers, refrigerators, ovens, etc.
The government servants will have to mention the dates of acquiring the properties, nature, position and volume of the properties, how and when those were acquired, the source of money with which they were purchased if applicable, and under whose name those are registered.
HOW TO DECLARE
The cadres and class I non-cadre employees will have to make the declaration to the secretaries to respective ministries.
Class II gazetted and non-gazetted employees, and class III and class IV employees of different ministries and departments and other offices will have to submit their statements to their appointing authorities.
Asked, whether those who are working in different offices under contractual appointments also must declare their wealth, a high official of the establishment ministry said, "We'll have to examine that."
Regarding whether those public servants who have been in the service for a long time without declaring their wealth at the time of joining, need to mention now the amount of wealth they had back then, he said, "Many might have forgotten what they had at the time of joining. We can accept their present declaration as a basis, but they'll need to update those from now on."
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