Former Auditor-General, Daniel Yaw Domelevo has called on the Chief of Staff to set a deadline for members of the new government who will be holding public office to declare their assets.

His comments came after the President, John Mahama swore in the first batch of state ministers and urged them to prioritise asset declaration.

“I propose that the Chief of Staff announce that, a week after your swearing-in, you must declare your assets and liabilities. You should be able to find two or three hours to do this. I wish the Chief of Staff would set a deadline, not in terms of a specific day, but a period, saying that you have one week from the day you are sworn in to declare your assets,” said Mr Domelevo.

He explained that setting a deadline is crucial as officeholders will be busy after taking office and may not have enough time to declare their assets.

“After one week, by the second week, they become seriously busy,” he said on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Thursday, January 23.

Mr Domelevo also stressed the importance of publishing the declarations to allow the public to see what public officials own before assuming their responsibilities.

The anti-corruption advocate commended the President for urging his appointees to declare their assets and emphasised that failure to comply with the law on asset declaration should not be tolerated but penalised.