The Center for the Analysis and Prevention of Corruption (CAPC) proposed improvements to the bill on the declaration of property, personal interests, conflicts of interest and presents, which it appraised.
In a news conference at IPN, the author of the appraisal Iulian Rusu said the legislative initiative put forward by the Ministry of Justice is welcome because it brings more clarity in the existent legislation, being a part of the justice sector reform strategy for 2011-2016. The bill contains sufficient arguments and highlights the shortcomings of the current system for declaring property by civil servants and persons holding high-ranking public posts. The initiative extends the list of those that must submit a property statement by including the non-permanent members of the Central Election Commission and persons holding responsible positions at the national public broadcaster “Teleradio-Moldova”.
As regards the necessary improvements, the Ministry of Justice is recommended to revise the notion of ‘maintained person’ so as to make it clearer and that of ‘interposed person’. The appraisal showed that the provisions of the bill are not compatible with some of the provisions of the fiscal legislation, the legislation on the independence of the authority responsible for the control of the integrity of persons, including the draft law on the National Integrity Center that was presented by the Ministry of Justice together with the assessed bill, and with some of the legislative technique requirements.
The informative note contains no economic-financial argumentation and this is a reason for concern. It only says that the costs for implementing the mechanism for declaring property, interests and presents online will be covered by the World Bank, while the rest of the costs will be covered with the available budget resources.
The CAPC head Galina Bostan said the bill is being discussed and can be yet improved until it reaches Parliament.
The CAPC assessed the bill within the project “Vulnerability appraisal of draft normative and legal documents” that is financially supported by MATRA Rule of Law and Good Governance of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
