Oman's Majlis Al Shura members agree on disclosure of financial assets

Muscat: Majlis Al Shura members have decided to voluntarily disclose their financial assets details to the government as part of transparency measures, a Shura member said.
“On Monday, we decided to disclose the details of our financial assets to government auditors to bring in more transparency. This will help the government in the future to find if there are any financial irregularities,” Mohammed Al Busaidi, a Shura member from Bausher, told the Times of Oman.
The majority of the members voted yes for the move during the Shura meeting.
According to law, government officials are bound to disclose their financial status upon the request of government auditors.
“By this move, we want to inspire government officials to voluntarily disclose their financial status. This will build confidence among the public,” the Shura member added.
The latest Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index placed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the top in the region at the 25th rank, followed by Qatar at 26, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia at 55, Oman at 64 and Kuwait at 67.
Last November, in a move to combat corruption, a special court was established in Muscat to investigate bribery claims, worker abuse and public spending abuse.
The Public Funds Court, the first of its kind in Oman, aims to combat financial and administrative corruption.
In 2013, Oman’s membership of the United Nations’ Convention against Corruption was ratified.
As a result, significant efforts have been made to ensure that the Sultanate is fulfilling its obligations under the terms of the convention.