The Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar, has outlined several significant challenges faced during the 2023 implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2019.
In a statement to Parliament on Friday, June 28, 2024, she emphasized the need for increased financial resources and cooperation from public institutions to ensure the effective functioning of the RTI framework.
Fatimatu Abubakar identified five primary challenges: inadequate financial resources, logistical constraints, attrition among RTI officers, limited cooperation from public institutions, and bureaucratic practices that impede timely responses to information requests.
“The lack of adequate financial resources to undertake activities that ensure the effective functioning of the supply side of the RTI architecture, including quality assurance, has been a major obstacle,” she said.
She added, “Logistical constraints, particularly unreliable internet infrastructure, have also hindered the work of Information officers, especially in the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs).”
The Minister also highlighted the issue of attrition among RTI officers, noting a significant number of resignations during the year.
“The reasons cited by the exited officers included traveling for further studies and job opportunities. This has reduced the number of RTI officers across various public institutions, making it difficult for the Division to provide back-end support to institutions,” she explained.
The Ministry has also faced challenges in ensuring compliance with certain aspects of the law by some public institutions. She noted that some heads of public institutions still sign off responses to RTI requests contrary to Section 19 of the RTI Act, 2019.
Additionally, bureaucratic practices within public institutions have delayed the turnaround time for responses to information requests, further complicating the implementation process.
Fatimatu Abubakar called for increased budgetary allocations for both the RTI Commission and the ATI Division of the ISD to address these issues.
“Financial clearance needs to be provided as a matter of urgency to enable the RTI Commission to complete the recruitment of its full complement of staff to resource its regional offices in Kumasi, Sunyani, and Bolgatanga.”
She also stressed the need for the ATI Division to replace exited officers and populate the outstanding 333 public institutions with information officers to ensure full compliance with the Act.
The Minister affirmed that the successful implementation of the RTI Act is crucial for promoting transparency and accountability in Ghana, and stressed the need to overcome these challenges to ensure every citizen can exercise their right to information.
By: Ekow Annan/newsalertgh.com
