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Mr. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah speaking at the press conference held in Accra yesterday
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the government is preparing a road map for the implementation of the Right to Information Bill (RTI), which should be adopted by Parliament this week.
He added that the implementation of the law would require the establishment of information units in all public offices, the recruitment and training of officers of information for these units, the establishment of the RTI Commission and the development of various administrative protocols before the start of the next financial year. fiscal year.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, Nkrumah said the preparatory work was needed to ensure the establishment of an infrastructure capable of responding to RTI's requests filed under the new law.
"The new law will be a major addition to Ghana's skills as a strong democracy and President Akufo-Addo, who for many years has championed the cause of strengthening human rights boundaries," he said. he declares.
Parliament
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Last Friday, Parliament said it would adopt the RTI bill on March 26, 2019, after about two decades of waiting.
This followed the conclusion of the examination of the bill by the House at its meeting of March 22, 2019.
The latest amendment to the RTI bill, which had been proposed by the Okaikoi Central MP (MP for the NPP) for Okaikoi Central, Mr. Patrick Yaw Boamah, has changed the department from the implementation of the bill , from the Attorney General and the Department of Justice. to the Ministry of Information.
After the adoption of the amendment, the leader of the majority, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said that the RTI bill would be read for the third time and pbaded next Tuesday.
Context
The RTI Bill must provide for the implementation of the constitutional right to information held by the public and certain private institutions, subject to the necessary derogations and compatible with the protection of the public interest in a democratic society. .
It also aims to promote a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs and to resolve related issues.
Presidential sanction
Nkrumah told the media that shortly after the adoption of the RTI bill, Parliament would pbad the bill to the president for his badent.
"The seventh legislature of the Fourth Republic completed in time the review phase of the draft law RTI after several policy changes and amendments and months of rigorous debate in badembly," he said.
Ms. Delese Darko, Executive Director of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and the Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Ms. May Obiri Yeboah, took advantage of the conference to describe their outfits to promote products manufactured in Ghana and reduce road carnage, respectively.
Condolences
The minister expressed the government's condolences to the victims and families of those affected by the two terrible accidents at Amoma Nkwanta in the Bono East region and Ekumfi Dunkwa in the central region of the country, which claimed more than 60 people.
He mentioned the fact that the President of the Police had been tasked with rapidly implementing the recommendations of the interministerial committee set up last year to propose ways of combating carnage on the roads.
In order to support the victims of the various accidents, he said, the government is committed to covering the costs of treating the wounded.
Promotion of local products
Regarding products made in Ghana, Nkrumah said the government, through the FDA, had launched a campaign to encourage foreign supermarkets and retail outlets in the country to promote products. thanks to a campaign called "Made in Ghana Display".
As a result, he said, the FDA had hired major supermarkets and retailers to allocate specific sections in their supermarkets and stores for products made in Ghana.
"This is to facilitate access to local products, even in these stores, and to strengthen efforts to develop the market for products made in Ghana," he said.
In response to this initiative, he said, a number of outlets had already begun to dedicate shelves of choice to Ghanaian manufactured goods.
Context
Parliament has set Tuesday, March 26, 2019, as the date for adoption of the Right to Information Bill, which has been in the House for about 20 years.
The RTI bill was drafted for the first time in 1999, revised in 2003, 2005 and 2007, but was not tabled in Parliament until 2010.
It was brought back to the sixth legislature but could not be adopted until it expired on January 6, 2016.
After months of waiting, the bill was tabled in Parliament early in 2018 by the Deputy Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Joseph Dindiok.
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