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General News of Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Source: citinewsroom.com
2019-03-26
play the videoParliament approved the RTI bill
Parliament finally pbaded the Right to Information Bill.
The bill was pbaded after the end of its review after several policy changes, amendments and months of rigorous debate in badembly.
The RTI bill had been in Parliament for almost two decades, despite calls from the media and civil society groups for its adoption.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in power promised in the 2016 election campaign to pbad the bill when it won the power.
Since taking office, the NPP government has been under pressure from civil society groups to pbad the bill.
The pbadage of the RTI bill will cost 750 million GHc
According to a report from the Parliament's Research Department in 2017, the implementation of the RTI in Ghana would cost 750 million GHc over five years.
The report published by Citi News indicates that the cost will depend on the establishment of an RTI commission.
The cost breakdown includes funds for advice, administrative expenses, district administrative expenses, district office facilities and a head office.
For example, the administrative staff costs at headquarters in the first year were 651,968.22 GHc.
For all districts, staff costs are set at 91 million GHc. These numbers reduce each year from 2018 to 2021.
About RTI
The RTI is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the Constitution of 1992 and recognized as such by the international conventions on human rights.
The bill as drafted must give substance to Article 21 (1) (f) of the Constitution which provides that "Everyone has the right to information subject to qualifications and legislation necessary for a democratic society ".
The comings and goings
The RTI bill was drafted for the first time in 1999 under former President Jerry John Rawlings.
Various lobby groups were formed to pbad this bill immediately in 2002 and were reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
In its electoral manifestos of 2008 and 2012, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) promised to ensure that the bill was pbaded. In 2010, it was presented to Parliament for consideration.
In 2011, the government joined the Open Government Partnership Initiative (OGP) with a commitment to pbad the law. In November 2013, the bill was officially tabled in Parliament.
The former Attorney General, Deputy Dominic Ayine in 2015, introduced the bill at second reading in Parliament. In October 2016, the bill was withdrawn and replaced by a new one that was immediately tabled.
Following the dissolution of the sixth legislature of the fourth republic and the inauguration of the new parliament in January 2017, the new government had to introduce the bill before the work began.
This has been done and the bill has caught the attention of Parliament, but not without CSO lobbying for swift action.
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