Unity Gov’t slammed for ignoring concerns with Register of Interests bill
It has also written to Acting Governor David D. Archer Jr to express its concerns said it has copied each elected representative to advise them of its opposition, as an executive, to the passage of the Act in its current form.
The Register of Interests Act, 2022 was read for the first time in the House of Assembly (HoA) and it was slated on the Order Paper for the Unity Government to suspend the Standing Orders to allow the Act to be read three times and passed in one single sitting.
According to a press release from VICSA today, July 13, 2022, had it not been for strenuous objection by some Members of the HoA that aim would have been achieved.
Lack of consultation
VICSA disclosed that prior to the bill being introduced on 30 June 2022, the public service, a body with a membership more than 2,500, was not informed, or consulted on its provisions.
“As drafted, the Act, if passed, will influence the private lives of public servants who will be required to disclose for placement in a public register the financial interests of themselves, their spouses, partners, and close friends at the same level as the elected official.
“While we accept that the constitutional right to privacy is not absolute, it is our view that the Act is an unnecessary encroachment on the constitutional right to privacy of public officers and is not reasonably necessary in a democratic society.”
‘Concerns went unaddressed’- VICSA
VICSA, in the same press release, said Civil Servants were informed at an Extraordinary Public Service meeting held Thursday, 7 July 2022, that it was the intention of the Unity Government to eventually have the said Act applicable to all public officers.
“Many of the questions of public officers and their concerns went unaddressed and we do not consider that meeting to be meaningful consultation. We were promised individual meetings for further discussion, and none have yet been afforded to us.”
VICSA said it notes the HoA is expected to resume deliberations on the same bill on July 14, 2022, with the intention of passing it.
It said it believes that public officers, as citizens and residents of the Territory, have a legitimate right to expect good governance from the Unity Government and it does not believe that Government’s actions in relation to this Act, as far as it purports to extend to the wider public service, represents good governance.
“Further, we believe that good governance requires that a people be meaningfully consulted on legislation that is intended to bind them before it is passed. This was not done.”
Not a recommendation of CoI Report
VICSA also argued that it has noted that the inclusion of senior public officers in the Act currently is outside of the scope of the Commission of Inquiry Recommendations and the Framework for Implementation of the Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry Report and Other Reforms of the Government of National Unity.
It said the CoI Report only required that the current Register of Interest, which currently binds the elected, be made public.
“The Framework, which we see as the Manifesto of the Government of National Unity, only committed to making said current register public. As such, we consider that the passage of the Act in its current form, is a breach of the Unity Government’s promise to us and the wider public on the way it would govern and implement the CoI Recommendations.”
‘Unjustified erosion’ of rights to privacy
VICSA said, considering its concerns on the lack of good governance demonstrated, the “unjustified erosion” of civil servants’ constitutional rights to privacy, and the lack of consultation on this Act, it as written to the Deputy Governor, who is currently the Acting Governor.
“We believe that the Act should be shelved until the wider public service is meaningfully consulted, have had their views heard, and reflected in a redrafted Act. We believe that justice and democracy so demand,” VICSA said.
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18 Responses to “Unity Gov’t slammed for ignoring concerns with Register of Interests bill”
We just love airing our dirty laundry in public. Look around our communities, all other nationals comes here and live in love & harmony while we cuss out each other not to mention shoot each other and rob each other
very shameful
Nothing wrong with senior civil servants, PS, inspector,, superintendent, head of departments and team leaders disclosing their interests. Its all part of good governance and international best practice however in those cases persons must produce solid evidence to show the purpose of inspecting the register. If you allow every Tom, dick and Harry in the bvi to inspect the register it's a receipt for disaster. If what the Union is saying is true they gone a bit too far with this situation. To say that it pertains to all civil servants is just rediculous. With the absence of additional information something seems amiss here.
What next is the question, maybe the AG Chambers and the house will next week introduced or amend previous legislation, maybe we will see provisions of 165A RTA 1988UK, Police Property Act and Proceed of Crime Act 2002Uk. At the rate things are going I wouldn't be surprised that the police will confiscate my property, sneakers, boats, and other valuables possessions and then asked me to show proof of how I came into possession of them, to prevent the State from confiscating them. This is where I believe things are going wrong or right will depends on many factors.
I think though this young political inexperience politicians are either taking orders from UK or afraid to upset UK in making meaningful decisions. If this is the case then the government needs to be dissolved forthwith and election call on the public holiday in October.