Wealth declaration reaches Denmark

Much as it has not been quick to get the Ugandan officials declare their wealth, the same experience has been faced by the Danish ministers

By Marianne Jacobsen

In March the Danish Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, announced that ministers and their spouses are requested to declare their private economic property as well as their memberships in public and private institutions. Introducing this new practice did not see an easy acceptance in Denmark. Ministers, members of the opposition parties, scholars, university professors and the media, all had opinions on whether such a regulation encroaches on the individual and private freedom of ministers and in particular that of their spouses. It was argued that as it is the particular minister who is appointed into office - and not his or her spouse - it is unfair to have the spouse to be accountable to the general public.

The husband of the Minister for Environment flatly denied declaring his wealth. Some politicians claimed that they would never want to become ministers, if they themselves and their spouses had to fill in such a form. All ministers however, filled the forms, which are now available on the homepage of the Prime Minister.

What has been standard in Uganda for quite some time, caused heated discussion in a country, where the rights of the individual are at the heart of society’s values. But on the flipside of it, Denmark is also a country that champions the notion of transparency and good governance, but rather on the international policy scene.

Still, the wealth declarations has proven to contribute to coherence between a government’s policy and actions of its ministers, be they private or public.

For instance, when the EU Commission was to appoint a new Commissioner for Agriculture all candidates had to fill in an extensive ‘wealth declaration’. In this process, the Danish candidate Marianne Fischer Boel declared that she holds shares in the Danish Sugar Industry. Against the background of the EU currently restructuring its Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, this piece of information proved to be essential. The CAP includes creating fairer trade opportunities for developing countries by dismantling its heavily protected sugar sector. After inquiries Ms. Mariane Boel was appointed.

The Ugandan wealth declaration policy is meant to identify ill-gotten wealth that leaders may accumulate at the expense of the people they lead.

These days, the Inspector General of Government, IGG is computing wealth declarations recently made by all Local Council leaders before they can be published for public consumption. Local council leaders joined the long list of top government officials and Members of Parliament who have all declared their wealth in accordance with the stipulations of the Leadership Code Act 2002. The IGG’s Information Officer, Martin Okumu, reveals that all local leaders at sub county and district levels made the declarations before the 31st of March deadline.

In Uganda’s case, the duty of the Inspectorate of Government is to publish details of the declarations in the newspapers so that the people who know these leaders and civil servants well can testify if there is any asset that has not been declared.

In Uganda, like in Denmark, the possible punitive action for leaders who don’t declare their wealth, remains unclear. The newly appointed IGG, justice Faith Mwondha has promised to put in place rules of procedure on how to enforce the Leadership Code. The Leadership Code Act 2002 prescribes loss of public office as one of the effective punishments for non-compliance.

In 2003, when the senior presidential advisor on political affairs Maj. Rolland Kakooza Mutale refused to declare his wealth, it cost him his job on recommendation of the IGG.

See the Danish minister’s wealth declarations on http://www.stm.dk/Index/mainstart.asp?o=156&n=1&h=4&s=1