DAR ES SALAAM — Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Thursday ordered the country’s 15,000 public leaders to submit their assets declaration forms to the Public Leaders Ethics Secretariat before the Dec. 30 deadline.
Speaking at Chamwino State House in the capital Dodoma shortly after he had sworn in Sivangilwa Mwangesi as the new Commissioner of the Ethics Secretariat, President Magufuli said that “declaration of assets by public leaders is required by law.”
He said in his address that he believed all public leaders, including ministers, regional commissioners and district commissioners, will fill and submit the forms declaring their assets before the deadline.
“Myself I have not yet filled the forms but I am in the process of filling them before the deadline,” he said.
However, the head of state discouraged the filling of the declaration of assets forms online, saying that could lead to information leakage.
“Public leaders that are obliged to fill the forms should download them, fill them and submit them physically to the Ethics Secretariat,” said Magufuli.
“We are not supposed to be that open. Hackers can change forms filled online and make them look not original,” said Magufuli. The Public Leaders Ethics Secretariat is mandated to receive and verify declarations of assets and liabilities which are required to be made by public leaders.
