A draft proclamation targetting the wealth registration of high ranking officials of the Ethiopian government, including the political neutral President of the country, the Prime Minister and all 547 members of the legislative body, has been proposed.
The bill, prepared by the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC), is currently under discussion among legal experts of the commission and other top officials of the federal government.
Among the officials required to register their assets, according to article 4 of the bill, are; those appointed parliament, the Prime Minister or by his deputy and public representatives of the federal parliament as well as council members of the two federal cities.
Ministers, State ministers, Deputy ministers, Commissioners and their deputies, Directors and their deputies, Presidents of the federal courts and their deputies, Judges and officials appointed to consult Ministers, Directors and Commissioners of the federal government have all been listed as responsible officials.
Officials responsible to valuable financial resources of the Defense, Police, Immigration, Diplomatic Missions including Ambassadors, Counselors and their Consultants, Governor of the National Bank and his deputy are also liable to list their wealth according to the bill.
The registration imposed on the listed officials also includes wealth registered under their spouses or adult children.
The underlying purpose of this bill is to uphold probity and accountability among reponsible officials while deterring and stamping out corruption. The bill allows Officials to receive gifts worth 2,000 Birr (US$200) within one budget year. Officials who receive gifts are, however, obliged to present them to responsible government offices.
According to a World Bank (WB) report, corruption is under a petty stage in Ethiopia, however current trends do not justify the WB report. A gold scandal which spelt massive financial losses to the country — to the tune of about 158 million Birr — illustrates the extent of corruption. Top officials of the country’s central bank alongside businessmen who sold fake gold to the bank are currently standing trial.
