by Linda Straker
- Andall is first government minister of the Dickon Mitchell administration to publicly inform he declared gift to the gift registry
- 2019 gift registry regulation requires all public officers and people in public life to register any gift given to them valued more than EC$500
- Integrity Commission published 8 circulars aimed at educating public officers about accepting and refusing gifts
Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Andall disclosed that he once received a gift which in his opinion qualified to be placed with the gift registry for public officers in public life, but it was returned to him by the Integrity Commission because they concluded that it was a token of small monetary value.
“I once received a gift and I turned it over to the Integrity Commission and when they did, their test and checks recognised that it was basically a token of small monetary value and they said okay, it’s fine and they returned it to me,” Andall declared during an interview.
Andall who has been serving as Foreign Affairs, Export and Trade Minister since June 2022 did not say who gave him the gift, nor when and where he received the gift.
Section 45, Sub-section 1 of the Integrity in 2013 Public Life Act says, “A person in public life shall not accept any gift or reward from any person,” but Section 45 subsection 2(b) of the legislation states that the one exception is from a “dignitary” and that is to ensure that a foreign officer or someone in who is serving as a diplomat is not offended when giving a gift.
The law provides for a gift from a dignitary “to be registered with the Commission.” Despite the limitation, the act states that a public officer can accept gifts from: (a) a community organisation on a social occasion which represents the creativity of that organisation; and (b) a foreign dignitary, where the person in public life has reasonable grounds to believe that the refusal to accept the gift may offend the foreign dignitary.”
The gift registry regulation was established in 2019, and requires all public officers and people in public life to register any gift given to them that is valued more than EC$500 or US$ 185 to be lodged with the registry. Once lodged, an investigation will determine the value of the gift and a decision will be made to have it remain with the gift registry or handed over to the officer.
As a guide to public officers, the Integrity Commission published 8 circulars aimed at educating public officers about accepting and refusing gifts. Circular Number One (1) states, “Notwithstanding, a person in public life may accept a gift or reward, in certain circumstances, it is for this very reason that a Gift Registry is established, so that Public Officials may be guided.” This circular explains that “The acceptance of gifts or gratification creates a conflict of interest between an employee’s private interests and their public duty.” According to the Public Life Act, there are 33 categories of people who are listed as persons in public life. They include all Ministers of Cabinet, all Permanent Secretaries, all Police Officers and all people working for a monthly salary starting at EC$2,000.
Andall is the first government minister of the Dickon Mitchell National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration to inform the public that he received a gift that he declared to the gift registry.
What a waste of time act in 2024. The world has moved on. Hid the truth and declare a gift.