Description
Asset declaration systems serve as an important tool to prevent conflicts of interests and illicit enrichment, improve integrity, and promote accountability of public officials. While asset declaration systems differ in objectives, scope of information disclosed, and range of filers with an obligation to disclose, many share a recent transition to the electronic filing of declarations.
The challenges and costs associated with managing a paper-based system combined with the benefits of an electronic system are compelling. The transition to electronic based filing and data management depends on many variables such as internet access, availability of digital signatures, information technology capacity, and institutional capacity to process electronic filings.
BENEFITS OF ELECTRONIC DECLARATION SYSTEM
The benefits are numerous: moving to an electronic system allows for coverage of a broader scope of declarants, simplifies the submission process by making the declaration form more user-friendly, reduces the number of mistakes made in the forms, facilitates further analysis and verification of declarations, and improves data management and security. Electronic filing thus helps raise the level of compliance with submission requirements. Electronic systems promotes better accountability and transparency.
The electronic system will eliminating the need for secure physical storage space for a growing volume of declarations and allowing the staff of asset declaration agency to focus on ensuring compliance and providing advice rather than sorting and organizing the paper declarations. It also helps prevent numerous unintentional mistakes caused by human error for which filers may be held responsible.
THE BENEFIT OF ELECTRONIC FILING
CONVENIENCE FOR DECLARANTS
Electronic filing significantly simplifies and streamlines the process of submitting declarations. Declarants do not have to deal with paper forms
BETTER DATA MANAGEMENT
Managing paper-based asset declaration systems can be very resource and time intensive. Declarations need to be physically collected from across the country, kept in a secure facility designed to prevent theft or tampering as well as any damage caused by the other elements
EFFECTIVE REVIEW AND ENFORCEMENT
Electronic systems offer a range of benefits to anti-corruption and other enforcing agencies. When agency staff work with more accurate and complete data, the time needed to review declarations decreases.