ລາວໂຮມລາວ ເພື່ອປະຊາທິປະໄຕ

Asset declaration coming for state leaders, employees

All state leaders and employees, state enterprise employees and their close relatives will have to declare their assets to government under a new prime ministerial decree aimed at preventing and fighting corruption.

The government issued the decree on Asset Declaration on June 4, which will come into effect on January 1, 2014 – the first ever document requiring such action. Their debts and incomes will also be declared, according to the decree.

The precise date to launch the declaration process remains unclear, according to a Government Inspection Authority official, who asked to remain anonymous.

High-ranking leaders, administrative-level officials and all state employees in the Party, government, Lao Front for National Construction and mass organisations will be required to declare their assets, according to the decree's Article 5.

Employees of the state, state joint venture enterprises and state joint stock companies are also included in the new decree, as are soldiers and police officers with a rank of second Lieutenant or higher, and officials in charge of economic and financial affairs.

“The officials mentioned above must declare their assets, debts and incomes along with those of their wives or husbands and children as well as other people under their responsibility,” the decree says.

According to the decree, assets required to be declared include land, houses, buildings and any vehicles or technical equipment being used for production operations.

The target groups must also provide details about valuable belongings worth 20 million kip or more, such as cash, gold, bonds, shares, money deposited in domestic and foreign financial institutes as well as debt.

Salaries, supporting allowances, pensions and income generated from family businesses, business operations, the sale or lease of assets, rent, loans or interest will also be declared.

Gifts and prizes worth more than 5 million kip and income from service provision and intellectual services must also be declared, according to the decree.

Once the action is launched requiring a person to declare, the work must be finished within one year, with asset declarations to be made every two years.

The Government Inspection Authority at various levels will be in charge of reviewing the declarations, according to the decree.

New state employees will be required to follow the process within the first 30 days of their employment, as will workers taking on new posts, finishing in old posts or running an election campaign. All state employees will need to declare their assets 30 days before retiring.

Declaration documents will remain confidential. Individuals and organisations will not be permitted to use information contained in the documents, unless permitted by the heads of the concerned government inspection authorities.