Govt employees reluctant in
giving wealth statement

Ministry to sit in meeting again

Mahfuz Emran: According to the rules, the Ministry of Public Administration had written to all the ministries and departments more than a year and a half ago to give an account of the assets of government officials and employees. After that, the ministries and departments are going on urging their own officials and employees. But government employees do not respond to account for assets.
In this context, the Ministry of Public Administration is sitting in the meeting to decide the next course of action. This meeting will take place any day next week. At the same time, an initiative has been taken to create a database on accounting of assets of officers and employees. A form is also being prepared for easy submission of accounts, ministry sources said.
Asked about the ministry’s next steps in this regard, KM Ali Azam, senior secretary in the public administration ministry told: “We will call a meeting next week on this (accounting for the assets of government employees). Everything will be reviewed in that meeting and the next course of action will be decided. We will let you know the decision. People from our ministry will be present at the meeting. The date of the meeting has not been fixed yet.
He said, “The wealth of the officers and employees who have completed five years of service have to be accounted for.” He who is less than five years old will not pay.”
Ali Azam added, “We will create a database. Whoever completes five years will have to give an account. We will also develop a new form so that officers and employees can easily submit asset accounts to us. We do the meeting first.”
According to the Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1989, there are rules for submission of wealth declaration and acquisition or sale of immovable property by government employees for five consecutive years. But government officials are not following this rule. So far, the government has not had any supervision in this regard.
A letter was sent from the Ministry of Public Administration to the senior secretaries or secretaries of all ministries and departments on June 24 last year to implement the rules and regulations in accordance with the directives of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in this regard.
After that letter from the Ministry of Public Administration, the ministries and departments send letters to their subordinates to give an account of their assets. When there was no response, the letter was sent again.
After the letter from the Ministry of Public Administration, on 12 August last year, the Ministry of Social Welfare demanded an account of the assets of the officers and employees under the Ministry. The ministry sent a letter again on January 8 urging them not to respond.
The letter said that Rules 11, 12 and 13 of the Government Employees (Code of Conduct), 1989, have provided instructions on the acquisition, sale and filing of assets of government employees. To ensure good governance, the Prime Minister has strongly instructed the officials to take necessary steps to ensure effective implementation of the rules.
According to the letter from the Ministry of Public Administration, a letter has been sent to all the officials / employees of the ministry to submit the statement of wealth and fill up the table and send it to the administration-1 branch in case of acquisition or sale of immovable property. In the letter, it was requested to send the account of assets to the administration-1 branch of the ministry.
In response to a letter from the Ministry of Public Administration, on July 26, the Cabinet Division directed to give an account of the assets of the officers and employees.
On August 16 last year, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief instructed the officials and employees of the ministry to submit the statement of assets in addition to the agencies under the ministry. The letter was sent to the Ministry of Disaster Management, the Director General of the Department of Disaster Management, the Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner for Refugee Relief and Repatriation and the Director (Administration) of the Cyclone Preparedness Program.
Later on September 6, the Disaster Management Department sent a letter to the District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer and the Upazila Project Implementation Officer asking for an account of the assets.
The Department of Statistics and Information Management sent a letter to the employees on 17 August last year to give an account of the assets. On August 25 last year, the land ministry sent a letter asking for an account of the assets. The Ministry of Housing and Public Works sent a letter to the subordinate officers and employees on 15 July asking for an account. Later on 12 August, the Public Works Department also sent a letter to the concerned.
Which was stated in the letter
In a letter signed by Nafisa Arefin, Deputy Secretary, Discipline-4 Branch, Ministry of Public Administration, on June 24, last year, it was stated that in the Rules 11, 12 and 13 of the Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1989, the acquisition, sale and filing of assets of government employees. The matter has been instructed.
To ensure good governance, the Prime Minister has directed all the concerned ministries to take necessary steps to ensure effective compliance of the said rules with the officials.
In this case, the government employees under the ‘Government Employment Act, 2018’ have to submit the statement of assets of all the government officials working in their controlling administrative ministry / office / subordinate organization The letter directed the Ministry of Public Administration to take immediate action on urgent basis through thorough compliance with Rules 11, 12 and 13 of the (Conduct) Rules, 1989.
In addition, the application form for permission to purchase or acquire and sell the land / house / flat / property of the government employee and the table of submission of existing asset statement are also sent along with the letter.