Electronic platform with income from politicians has started working

The Organization for Transparency’s (EpT) electronic platform for filing declarations of income, assets, interests and incompatibilities of political officials went live this Thursday, the Constitutional Court (TC) announced.

This new platform and associated database is now being populated and making the information available to the public “online” because “as regards the set of entities subject to the reporting obligation, the facts that determine the reporting obligation are verified. “, – says the TS message.

This will happen to all MPs and members of the government currently in power, who must submit their respective resignation in accordance with the established procedure, as well as to all new MPs and members of the new executive, who will also submit their resignation. taking office via an electronic platform.

Although the premises at the European Parliament headquarters were only provided by the government in August 2023, “the TC and the European Parliament were able to launch the electronic platform before the next election event” on Sunday, the statement also said.

According to the Tax Code, while ensuring full and complete compliance with the law, “there will be increased control over the delivery and verification of these declarations, as well as public access to the information contained in them, which by law must be publicly available ‘online’.”

“Thus, full compliance with the law can contribute to the control of political officials and senior government officials and even strengthen citizens’ confidence in the functioning of institutions,” the Constitutional Court emphasizes.

The declaratory obligations will be the same as those that already existed on paper, but the use of the digital route will have the advantage of making the process easier for those making the declaration, and the verification of delivery and formal compliance between successive declarations more secure. “Faster and more efficient” from the same declarant, he explained.

In addition, as has already been the case, obtaining some information may be subject to EpT authorization, since the law makes a clear distinction between data that must be publicly available to any citizen and those that can only be accessed through authorized consultation.

Applications from members of the self-government bodies of the Autonomous Regions will continue to be submitted on paper to the Constitutional Court, since the application of the regime for the exercise of functions by persons holding political positions and the highest public positions, approved in 2019, requires changes in the Political-Administrative Statutes of the Azores and Madeira.

EpT, approved in 2019 and headed by Ana Raquel Moniz, will oversee unique declarations of income, assets and interests of individuals holding political office and senior government positions.