Open Data on Property Status of Elected and Appointed Persons (MK0096)

Condition or issue covered with the obligation: SCPC publishes the data on the property status and changes in the property status of the elected and appointed persons; however, due to the non-existence of software solution, it is impossible to have an insight and historical review of all reported changes in the property status as of the time when the such persons assumed their functions until the time they cease to perform their function. Main goal: Increased accountability of the elected and appointed persons and increased information to the public regarding their property status. Short description of the obligation: The openness of the data on asset declarations of the elected and appointed persons via their chronological publication and historical review in continuity is essential for overall insight and display of the property status and changes in the property status of the elected and appointed persons as of the time of assuming their function until the cessation thereof. Prerequisite for realization of the obligation is designing and establishing software solution which will provide insight in form of open data. OGP challenge covered with the obligation: Increased openness of the data on the property status of elected and appointed persons. Connection with the global goals for sustainable development: Reference with Target 16 “Peace, justice and strong institutions”, Target 16.5: Significant decrease of all forms of corruption and bribe. The measures of this effort contribute to prevention and fight against corruption and protection of the public interest by increasing the accountability and responsibility of the elected and appointed persons towards the citizens. Validity: Pursuant to Article 35 of the Law on Prevention of Corruption, the data from the asset declaration and from the report on the change of property status present information of public character, except for the data protected by law. The data from the asset declarations and from the reports for change of property status, except for the data protected by law, of the persons referred to in Article 33 paragraph (1) of this Law are posted to SCPC website. With the modifications and amendments to the Law on Prevention of Corruption from June 2015, SCPC keeps register of elected and appointed persons which presents unique database for these persons. The implementation of these norms, the submission of data to SCPC for mandate verification, election i.e. appointment and cessation of the function i.e. duty becomes an obligation of the institutions and bodies performing elections and appointments, thus entirely exceeding the problem for overall and trustworthy recording of the public function holders. SCPC intensively took over all activities for establishing electronic database for the elected and appointed persons. All these activities are implemented in synchronization with the activities within Component 6 of the IPA TWINNING Project “Support to efficient prevention and fight against corruption” from which an IT solution should derive for the register of elected and appointed persons. The monitoring of the property status and changes in the property status of the elected and appointed persons is a basic tool for developing the integrity of the elected and appointed persons. The information provisioned to the citizens regarding the aforementioned should be relevant. Hence, it is important SCPC to allow to the public not only insight in the current status to the public, but also to monitor the change of the status. Ambition: The entire insight and monitoring of the property status and the changes in the property status will increase the accountability and responsibility of the elected and appointed persons. The openness of the data on the asset declarations is a possibility to facilitate the analyses of the citizen associations in the role of supervisors alarming any possible risks and misuses.

For Commitment details, please see the IRM reports: Macedonia Mid-Term Report 2016-2018 and Macedonia End-of-Term Report 2016-2018