President ratifies Right to Information Act

President Abdulla Yameen has today ratified the Right to Information Act, passed by the Parliament during the 22nd sitting of its third session on 29 December 2013.

The Act stipulates standards for every individual to acquire information controlled by the government and acts as a means to increase government accountability and transparency.

It declares that government information should be available to the public, but with necessary exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific, and that decisions on the disclosure of any government information should always be reviewed and proven to hold the public interest in its favour.

The Act encourages government institutions to disseminate public information to the fullest and states that any individual under investigation shall have the right to attain information gathered by the authorities to ascertain its validity.

The Act establishes an Information Officer at all government offices, who will be charged with providing information to the public. The Act also establishes a Information Commissioner’s Office which will be headed by an Information Commissioner, appointed by the parliament.

The Act will come into for force after six months from ratification.