Guyana: APNU Proposes Amendment to Integrity Act for Asset Disclosure

Amid ongoing discussions regarding President Irfaan Ali’s farm on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, the opposition party A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has put forward a proposal to amend the Integrity Act. The proposed amendment seeks to enable the Integrity Commission to publicly release summaries of asset declarations for the President and his ministers, among others.

APNU parliamentary leader Dr. Terrence Campbell stated that the amendment aims to bolster transparency, accountability, and public confidence in public office. He emphasized that the proposed changes would ensure that essential information related to the statutory declarations of key elected and executive officials is made available to the public while maintaining the confidentiality of non-disclosable information.

Dr. Campbell has communicated this proposal to Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, along with the draft bill. He indicated that the summaries would be published in the Official Gazette. He expressed concern that any parliamentarian or political party that does not support the amendment might be perceived as having something to hide.

In his statement, Dr. Campbell referenced Jamaica’s Integrity Commission, which publishes summaries of asset declarations for the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader. He suggested that Guyana’s Integrity Commission should also be authorized to release summaries for various officials, including Parliamentary Secretaries, Permanent Secretaries, and heads of government agencies.

Furthermore, Dr. Campbell urged that if the National Assembly does not convene to discuss the proposed amendment, the President and leaders of all parliamentary parties should voluntarily disclose their 2025 asset declarations as a demonstration of transparency.

He expressed his willingness to release his own asset declaration promptly if an agreement can be reached. Dr. Campbell also mentioned that he was not aware of any investigations by the Integrity Commission regarding asset submissions. He acknowledged knowledge of President Ali’s farm but was unaware of its size, which has been a point of contention.

Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has claimed that the President’s farm spans 150 acres, while President Ali has stated it is less than 75 acres without providing specific details. There has been no independent verification of these claims. The President has also declined to release financial records related to his business, asserting that he financed his farm through bank loans and that the Integrity Commission possesses all his declarations. He maintains that he has not leveraged his presidential position for any special advantages concerning his farm operations.

Source: demerarawaves.com