Deputy Chief Justice, IGG, Launch Gov’t Online Declaration System

KAMPALA, UGANDA: The Deputy Chief Justice, Richard Buteera, on Monday morning presided over the launch of the Inspectorate of Government Online Declaration System (IG-ODS) marking the beginning of the Declaration Period.

The Inspectorate of Government developed the online declaration system (IG-ODS) for leaders to declare their income, assets and liabilities online, to the Inspector General of Government. Since then, upgrade of the existing system with new features have made the IG-ODS easier and faster to use.

As such, the office of the IGG no longer receives hard copies of declaration forms from leaders. Everything is done online using the IG-ODS.

Buteera on his peech at the launch noted that electronic and remote systems as the online declaration of income, assets and liabilities have become prominently practical especially during the COVID-19 pandemic period where conventional Standard Operating Procedures do not favour mass human congregations.

He explained that periodic declaration of income, assets and liabilities keeps public officials in check of their day to day undertakings.

“Illicit enrichment is curtailed because wealth accumulation is monitored,” he said.

Buteera also stated that the Judiciary and the Courts are committed to continuing to hear all corruption-related and indeed all other matters brought before them in an independent, impartial, accountable, effective and efficient manner.

In 2020, a total of 127 corruption-related cases were disposed of at the Anti-Corruption Division with a nearly 50 per cent conviction rate.

The deputy IGG, Mariam Wangadya, emphasized that the online declaration system assures complete declarations since the system does not accept incomplete declarations. Adding that the System will ease the process of verification.

“This is the time for leaders to take stock and tell the story of their journey by being transparent about their assets, incomes and liabilities and how they acquired it for the protection of public funds,” said Mr George Bamugemereire, the Deputy IGG.

The IGG went on to release a list of compliant and non-compliant institutions and districts that are required to declare assets and liabilities under the law. For the next 31 days, specified leaders are expected to declare their wealth.

In response, the Deputy Chief Justice called for more training of investigators, prosecutors and judges handling corruption cases because of their sophisticated nature.