The long-awaited Freedom of Information Bill will be tabled in the National Assembly within the next two weeks, as it has successfully passed through Cabinet, where it has been reviewed and revised for any misrepresentations.
Dr Roger Luncheon
Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, at a post- Cabinet media briefing on Wednesday, June 01, stated that access to information is the most significant aspect of the bill, since it paves the way for hassle-free access to information.
The bill will, however, have some conventions with regards to what information is available and what will not be available.
It will describe the process of applying for detailed information, as well as what rights an individual can enjoy as a result of an application.
The bill also boasts penalties which will be applied to an individual if information is withheld or destroyed.
“The other penalty has to do with the obligation to retain documents. In other words, you cannot destroy or hide documents that are requested; and on the other side is the submission of the document to an applicant, who then has an obligation to, if publishing, do so accurately and in its entirety,” Dr Luncheon said.
