Tunisia approves illegal enrichment law

TUNIS: The Tunisian parliament on Thursday approved a law to combat illicit enrichment, a step designed to strengthen the government’s fight against widespread corruption in the country.

Since the 2011 uprising, Tunisia has been held up by Western partners as a model of democracy for the region. Economic progress has lagged, however, and corruption remains a major problem in the North African state. The law will force the president, ministers, senior officials in the public sector, independent bodies, banks, judges, security forces, journalists and unions to declare their property.

"The law is a revolution because it will allow the national group to scrutinize the unknown wealth that has been acquired illegally," Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said. The parliamentary speaker, Mohamed Naceur, said the law "is another step in efforts to fight corruption, ensure transparency and preserve public money. "The penalties for illicit enrichment include fines and five years’ imprisonment.