Akufo-Addo signs RTI Act into law
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in the company of the Chief of Staff, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei Opare, appended his signature to the Act at about 11: 40 a.m. in his office at the Jubilee House, the seat of Ghana's presidency.
Parliament passed the Right to Information (RTI) Bill on 26 March 2019. The RTI Act will be implemented in January 2020 now that it has become law.
The RTI law will pave the way for the operationalisation of the constitutional right to information held by public institutions as well as some private organisations, subject to exemptions that are necessary and consistent with the protection of the public interest in a democratic society.
The Act, also seeks to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs and also provides for related matters. The RTI Act was first drafted in 1999, reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was only presented to Parliament in 2010. But it could not be passed due to the many recommendations of amendments. It was brought back to the Sixth Parliament but could not be passed till the expiration of that Parliament on 6 January 2016.
Moves to get the bill passed received increased momentum in 2017 following the formation of the Media Coalition on RTI. The Coalition, with support from other civil society organisations in the past eleven months, piled pressure on Parliament to get the Bill passed.
In a brief address before the signing, President Akufo-Addo congratulated the 7th Parliament of the fourth republic for its courage in passing the RTI bill into law.
The purpose of the Act, as set out in its preamble, the President said: "Is to provide for the implementation of constitutional rights to information held by any public institution and to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs".
"Properly applied, it should enhance the quality of governance in our country, and provide a critical tool in the fight against corruption in public life", President Akufo-Addo said.
Addressing the issue of when the Act comes into full effect, the President said: "Parliament has quite rightly provided that the Act should come into effect the next financial year, January 2020 because there are financial consequences in the implementation of the law in order to give the public treasury the opportunity to make the necessary allocations to enable the Act to be effective".
Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com/91.3FM
Source: Laud Nartey
Trending News
Former MASLOC CEO’ll be extradited to serve 10-year sentence – Dep AG
06:19You attack us again, we respond with 'appropriate force' - GAF warns Tema civilians
07:38Man allegedly shoots wife in Adaklu
15:01Alan launches Alliance for Revolutionary Change (ARC) today
06:02Ghana deepens ties with Serbia as Minister for Foreign Affairs visits country
07:31‘I can only thank you for your dumsor patience’ – Akufo-Addo to Ghanaians
14:50Digitalisation has cut demand for sex from women for public services – Bawumia
11:17Ameri name tainted with NDC’s corruption-NPP
17:04Kumasi 1 Thermal Power Project set to address voltage, power quality issues in Kumasi, northern Ghana
17:14Accra wraps up successful year as 2023 World Book Capital; prepares to handover title to Strasbourg
10:54