Practical Ways for Officials to Disclose Assets

The public disclosure of official's assets is at the center of attention in the anti-corruption debate. However its role within an institutional anti-corruption system has not been discussed.

Disclosure is the first step. It is not, in itself, the ultimate objective and its significance extends beyond the right of the public to know. In a system that relies on self-reporting, disclosure allows public supervision, helping to eliminate dishonest declarations of assets. In this way, the essence of public disclosure is to encourage the public to become the voluntary auditors of officials' assets.