Ombudsman of the Republic of Vanuatu Hamlison Bulu has made his final call to every leaders who failed to file their Annual Return to file within next 14 days.
He made the call though a press conference today in his office as majority of the leaders failed to file before March 1, 2021 – a grace period has been given as required under the law.
Ombudsman Bulu said since the call has been made twice in Radios, Newspaper, Facebook and even through government network to get the leaders to comply, 196 them have filed in while 445 miserably failed.
That means those leaders have 14 remaining days to file their Annual Returns before the office will start taking the next turn to bring them before the court for breaching the Leadership Code Act.
This final notice was produced compelling the remaining leaders to respect their positions as leaders and step forward and comply with the law. Due to the difficulties faced by the office to reached other leaders within our rural communities around our remote islands but the office will reach them through the government representatives in their respective areas.
The publication of the names of those who filed on time will be released on March 14, 2021 and whoever leader who failed to file will be taken to court for breaches of the Leadership Code Act.
He said that principal of Article 66 of the Constitution is for a leader to comply with the law and not letting his position and his integrity to be called into question.
Annual Returns is all about confirming the assets a leader owns after becoming a leader, his financial balance and his liabilities. He clarified that it is another offence if the leader failed to tell the truth while filling his Annual Return.
Here is the list of some of those who are yet to file as of March 1, 2021.
Some State Ministers, some Members of Parliament, some Political Advisors to Ministries, some Members of the Public Service Commission, some Members of the Police Service Commission, Commissioner of Police, Commander of the Vanuatu Mobile Force, Members of the Electoral Commission, some Director General of Ministries, some Directors of Government Departments, Clerk of Parliament of the Republic of Vanuatu, Public Prosecutor of the Republic of Vanuatu, Members of the Parliamentary Service Management Board, Governor of the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu, Members of the Board of Directors for Reserve Bank of Vanuatu, Managing Director of National Bank of Vanuatu, Members of The Board of Directors for National Bank of Vanuatu, Members of the Health Practitioners Board, Members of the Nursing Council, Director Vanuatu National Cultural Council, Members of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council, Members of Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Cooperation Board of Directors.
The list also includes the Chief Executive Officer of the Vanuatu National Tourism Office, Members of the National Tourism Board, Members of Board of Director of Vanuatu Financial Service Commission, General Manager of the National Housing Corporation, Members of the National Housing Corporation, Chief Executive Officer of the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs, Members of the Vanuatu Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, The Principal of Vanuatu Teachers Education, Members of the National Curriculum and Assessment Board, Members of the Teaching Service Commission, General Manager of Vanuatu Commodities Marketing Board, Members of the Vanuatu Commodities Marketing Board, Members of the Vanuatu Qualification Authority Council, Chief Executive Officer of the National Sports Commission, Members of the National Sports Commission, All Councillors of Provincial Government Council, All Councillors of the 3 Municipal Councils, All Town Clerks of the 3 Municipal Councils, Chief Executive Officer of Air Vanuatu, Members of Air Vanuatu Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer of Airports Vanuatu Limited, Members of Airports Vanuatu Board of Directors, Members of the Board of Directors for Vanuatu Livestock Development Limited, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Islands Stevedoring Company Limited (NISCOL), Members of the Board of Directors of NISCOL (Sanma Province), Board Members of the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority, All Ambassadors and High Commissioners of the Republic of Vanuatu, Chief Executive Officer of the Agriculture College Council, Members of the Agriculture College Council, All Members of all, Provincial Education Board, Members of the VIT Council, Right to Information Commissioner, Commissioner and Chairperson of Utilities Regulatory Authority, National Coordinator of Customary Land Management Office, Chairman of the Expenditure Review Committee, General Manager of Ifira Ports Development Services, Members of Board of Director of Ifira Ports Development Services, Members of Vanuatu Chamber of Commerce & Industry Council, Members of the National Scholarship and Training Board, Members of Foreign Service Board and Members of National University of Vanuatu Council.
Ombudsman said that the office may missed some leaders position since they are too many but slowly everything will be in hand.
Mr Bulu reiterated that the penalty remains the same for any leader who failed to file on time, he or she should be paying an amount of VT20,000 per day until he fixes he files his Annual Return. He said failure to pay the fine will be taken to court for further enforcement to ensure the leader should comply and another failure would amount to a contempt of court.
To avoid reaching that part, Mr Bulu is asking all leaders to come in and file for free. “I ask all good leaders, please do the right thing, please do the honourable thing and please do the lawful thing”, he said.
He asked the citizen throughout Vanuatu that it is also everybody’s duty to relay the message to the leaders to come and file their returns. Ombudsman Bulu said Annual Return is a duty of those who are leaders prescribed under the law to file their Annual Returns every year.