MPs approve new rules for asset disclosure and evaluation of nominees

Lawmakers on Monday approved parliament’s standing orders with new rules for evaluating nominees, disclosing assets and docking pay for absenteeism.

The new rules makes it mandatory for lawmakers to include the personal finances of their spouses and children under 18 years of age in their asset declarations, which would be published on parliament’s website.

The constitution requires lawmakers to annually submit to parliament’s secretary general “a statement of all property and monies owned by him, business interests and liabilities,” including “details of any other employment and obligations of such employment.”

However, the information was not made available to the public in the past.