The Right to Information Bill (RTI) has finally been passed into law after 20 years of its inception.
The RTI Bill which was first drafted in 1999, was reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The bill was ,however, presented to Parliament in 2010.
The bill was brought back to the Sixth Parliament but could not be passed till the expiration of that Parliament on January 6, 2016.
The implementation of the law would require the establishment of information units in all public offices, the recruitment and training of information officers to man those units.
The implementation of the law will also require the establishment of the RTI Commission and the completion of various administrative protocols before the start of the next fiscal year.
The RTI law is to provide for the operationalisation of the constitutional right to information held by the 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.
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com
