Gazette on RTI Act to be issued on 3 Feb.

Thursday, 12 January 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Government spokesperson and Mass Media Minister Gayantha Karunathilaka yesterday said that the Government had already selected information officers to be appointed on 3 February, when the Right to Information Act is to be gazetted.

The information officers will be appointed to national institutions and some of the key provincial institutions, he said while speaking to journalists at a Cabinet briefing.

“We won’t be able to appoint information officers to all Government institutions immediately. We hope to achieve that someday but not at present. All key institutions will have information officers,” Karunathilaka said.

He also highlighted the significance of implementing the Act, saying that it was a great victory for the public which will now have access to details about what their political representatives are doing.

The RTI Act will enable the people of the country to access any information relating to the use of public money. This will support the creation of a transparent administration and help minimise corruption.

The Minister appealed to the media to help educate the public of the importance of the Act, highlighting that people were unaware of the benefits of the RTI Act. He also expressed hope that the Act would encourage more investigative journalism in the local media.

The Minister also met the members of the RTI Commission, headed by Mahinda Gammanpila, on Tuesday to discuss the progress made in the preparation of the Act’s implementation on 4 February.