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By Jamila Najmuddin
The Media Ministry has dispatched letters to newspaper organisations and its editors informing them of the decision to obtain details of the assets of journalists before the end of next month, Media Ministry Secretary, W. Ganegala told Daily Mirror online.
Under the terms of the 1988 declaration of assets and liabilities act, the Ministry has requested, that proprietors, editors, and members of the editorial staff of every newspaper in Sri Lanka submit a declaration of their assets to the Ministry Secretary.
“I have already dispatched the letters to all the editors. All journalists must abide by this request,” Ganegala said without elaborating further.
The Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law was passed in August 1975. It was amended subsequently by the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities (Amendment) Act No. 74 of 1988.
The scope of this Law is such that it applies to members of parliament; judges and public officers appointed by the President, public officers appointed by the Cabinet of Ministers, judicial officers and scheduled public officers appointed by the Judicial Services Commission and staff officers in Ministries and Government Departments.
It also applies to proprietors, editors and members of the editorial staff of newspapers in respect of which declarations have been made under section 2 of the Newspapers Ordinance; Chairmen, Directors and staff officers of companies registered under the Companies Act No.17 of 1982, in which the majority of shares are held by the State or by a public corporation; and such categories of other officers as may be specified by regulations. (Daily Mirror online)