Government preparing to operationalise RTI law upon passage _ Minister

The Government, through the Information Ministry, is commencing preparatory works ahead of the passage into law of the Right to Information Bill (RTI) by Parliament, this week.

This is necessary to ensure that there are adequate infrastructure that could deliver on the RTI requests filed under the law.

The Bill, in its current form, required the establishment of Information Units in all public offices, recruitment and training of information officers to man those units, as well as establishment of the RTI Commission and the completion of various administrative protocols before the commencement of the next fiscal year.

Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Information Minister, announced this at a media encounter in Accra on Sunday.

He said Parliament had, in good time, completed the consideration stage and would pass the Bill although there were new petitions asking for further amendments to some provisions.

This followed several policy changes and amendments to the Bill and after months of rigorous debates on the floor of the House.

However, he said, Parliament was minded to pass the Bill this week, and send it for Presidential ascent soon afterwards.

The Minister said the law would be a major addition to the credential of the country’s strong democracy and President Akufo-Addo, who, for many years, had championed the cause of enhancing the frontier of human rights.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the Information Ministry, which is the implementing Ministry, had already commenced engagements in preparation of a roadmap for its implementation.

“We ask all who have followed the entire process to join in heralding the final passage and to cooperate with us in its implementation,” the Minister said.

Source: GNA