By Balford Henry,
Senior Reporter
A NEW controversy has arisen over the provisions of the proposed Corruption Prevention Bill which is to be debated next by the Senate.
The Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA) is circulating a position paper to a number of persons, including Senators, to block the Bill which it decribes as "nothing short of offensive" and "narrowly" concentrating on civil servants.
"The implied conclusion is that the public sector and the public servant represent, at the very least, the core of the country's corruption problem. This assertion is offensive to the average public servant who has served the country with distinction and pride for many years," the paper said.
The paper also accused the Government of creating further divisions within the public sector, by making a distinction between Parliamentarians and civil servants, under the Parliament (Integrity of Members) Act and the Corruption Prevent Act, respectively.
The JCSA said that the provisions of the Act will require state employees to reveal the assets of spouses and their children which would have implications for the marriage prospects of public servants.
The paper also raised concerns about: the non-inclusion of new public sector employees involved in banking, insurance and the media, for example; the media being able to expose civil servants' assets, without having to face the similar requirements; the lack of adequate compensation for preparing statutory declarations; and the presumption of guilt, forcing the civil servants to prove that they have not acquired wealth corruptly.
