Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, fellow Liberians, and esteemed stakeholders, today, the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) is fulfilling a critical promise we made to the Liberian people: the publishing of the Asset Declaration Listing for all government officials required to declare their assets and liabilities in keeping with law. This exercise is a significant step in promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity within the public service of Liberia.

Purpose and Objectives of the Asset Declaration Exercise

 The Asset Declaration exercise is designed to achieve several vital objectives:

1. Promote Transparency: By requiring public officials to declare their assets, we aim to increase transparency within the government, ensuring that all officials' financial standings are recorded.

2. Prevent Corruption: Asset declarations serve as a preventive measure against corruption. By documenting the assets of public officials, we create a benchmark that can be used to detect any unexplained wealth or illicit gains.

3. Build Public Trust: This exercise is essential in restoring and maintaining the trust of the Liberian people in their government. When officials are open about their finances, it fosters a culture of accountability and integrity.

In the just-ended exercise, we witnessed varying levels of participation and compliance among government officials. While a significant number of officials submitted their declarations, some did not comply with the legal requirement to declare their assets.

The LACC in fulfillment of the “Rule of Law” pillar of the Government of Liberia’s ARREST agenda, also provided copy of an “National Integrity Pledge” to be executed by officials of government who were declaring their assets.

Overview of the Exercise:

1. Participation and Compliance: As per our regulations, we identified 1,900 employees and public officials of government that are required to declare their assets and liabilities in keeping with law. We hereby reiterate that as July 31, 2024, only 26.5% of public officials were compliant while 73.5% were non-compliant. It is based on these statistics that we herewith present the following details:
2. Compliance Levels:

The Legislative Branch: In the Legislative branch of the total number of 73 elected Representatives, only 26 Representatives were in compliance demonstrating their commitment to the rule of law, while 47 were non-compliant. The 56 administrative staff of the House of Representative that were identified, only 1 staff was in compliance demonstrating commitment to rule of law.

Still in the Legislative branch, of the total number of 30 elected Senators, only 12 were in compliance demonstrating their commitment to the rule of law, while 18 were non-compliant.  The 44 administrative staff of the House of senate that were identified, none complied.

The Executive Branch: In the Executive Branch, of the 1,281 officials appointed who are required to declare their assets, only 322 officials fully complied with the declaration requirements, while 959 are non-compliant.  We also received 84 asset declarations from non -appointed employees of government thus bringing the total number of asset declaration received from the Executive branch of government to 406 demonstrating their commitment to transparency.

The Judiciary Branch: In the Judiciary branch a total number of 333 persons are required to declare, only 29 officials were in compliant, including 7 judges and 21 administrative staffs were in compliant demonstrating their commitment to transparency, while 305 were non-compliant.  A total of 29 persons declared within time.

Statistics of Asset Declarations after the July 31, 2024 deadline

Legislative Branch: After the July 31, 2024 deadline, the LACC received two (2) additional asset declarations from member of the house of Representatives, We also received three (3) additional asset declarations from member of the house of Senate, one (1) Senator and Two (2) Administrative Staff.

Executive Branch: The LACC received an additional of Two Hundred & Forty-Five (245) asset declaration after the July 31, 2024 deadline from the Executive mostly comprising of Local Government Officials.

Judiciary Branch: The LACC received 287 declarations from the Judiciary after the July 31, 2024 deadline.

There are other employees of government who are also non-compliant, including Comptrollers, Procurement Officers, Directors, Manager and those in positions of tendering, contraction and issuance of various types of licenses.

I would like to in this public manner also state that there are other members staff from the three branches of government who are also non-compliant in declaring their assets. Our next course of actions will be to request the listing of staff from government institutions, match them against our current records and address them like we will address all other non-compliance. 

The compliance rate indicates progress but also highlights areas where further action is needed to ensure full adherence to the law.

Impact and Significance

The publication of this listing marks a milestone in our ongoing efforts to fight corruption in Liberia. By making this information public, we are not only holding public officials accountable but also empowering citizens to engage in the oversight of their leaders. This transparency is crucial for reinforcing the rule of law and promoting good governance.

Next Steps

As we move forward, the LACC will recommend to the relevant authorities that the sanctions prescribed by law be enforced against those government officials who have not complied with the asset declaration requirements. This is a clear message that non-compliance will not be tolerated and that accountability is paramount in our public institutions.

Publication of the Listing

As promised, the full listing of government officials, categorized by those who were in compliance and those who were not, has been compiled and published. The listing is now available on our official website at [www.lacc.gov.lr](http://www.lacc.gov.lr). We encourage all citizens and stakeholders to review this information as we continue to work together to build a corruption-free Liberia.

In conclusion, the LACC remains committed to its mandate of promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability within our public service. We will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure that all public officials are held to the highest standards of conduct.

Thank you.