GOVERNMENT HAS through the Ministry of Information begun stakeholders’ engagements on the roadmap for implementation of the Right To Information (RTI) Law.
On Thursday, May 30, 2019, a workshop was organized to set the pace for the series of engagements with stakeholders on the implementation of the law which was signed recently by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
At the workshop held at the Oak Plaza hotel were participants from the RTI Coalition and the Media Coalition, representatives of UNESCO, as well officials of the Ministry.
Lawyer Akoto Ampaw, a member of the RTI Coalition told journalists that the workshop was aimed at identifying what needed to be done between now and January 2020 to ensure the smooth implementation of the law.
He said it was also to raise the consciousness of institutions that record-keeping was at the foundation of the RTI law.
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, said issues about the coatings of the implementation of the law would be considered as well as issues of archiving and retrieving information.
Under the law, state institutions are required to make information available to members of the public within 14 days of the said information being requested.
If need be, the release of information is to take an additional seven days, making a maximum of 21 days for the release of information.
Journey To The Law
The RTI bill was passed by Parliament on March 26, 2019.
The law is expected to take effect from January 2020.
There were doubts about Government’s commitment to passing the bill after several years of similar promises not being honored.
The first RTI bill was drafted by the executive arm of Government in 2002.
The draft executive bill was subsequently reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
After the review, it was never laid before parliament until February 5, 2010.
On Friday, March 22, 2019, the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye halted the third reading of the RTI Bill.
The third reading of the RTI Bill had been advertised on the Order Paper for that day’s business of the House, but the speaker asked that it should be deferred since there had been further proposals and amendments by some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to certain aspects of the bill, which when passed, will not serve the best interest of the ordinary Ghanaians.
Object Of Law
The object of the RTI law is to provide for the operationalisation of the constitutional right to information held by public and some private institutions, subject to exemptions that are necessary and consistent with the protection of public interest in a democratic society.
It also seeks to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs and provide for related matters.
BY Melvin Tarlue
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