Use of RTI to?hold authorities accountable growing

Tomorrow (3rd?February?2018) marks one year since?the?Right to Information (RTI)?Act?became?operational?in Sri Lanka. While there remain challenges to overcome,?the?engagement?of?citizens?in using RTI to?hold authorities accountable?as well as to?resolve problems?of?a personal nature?has?been extremely encouraging, Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) said.

TISL said that both?uses?have?resulted?in the increased transparency of?public processes, one RTI request at a time.

From?securing the land rights of a dispossessed farmer in Gampaha,?exposing the construction?of a substandard?public?school?building?in?Omanthai?to?securing deeds of ownership for?1200 families?in?Vavuniya, RTI has played a?life-changing role in the lives of citizens while?promoting?democratic?governance, acting as a tool to combat corruption?and restoring sovereignty in the people of Sri Lanka.?Within the space of one year, RTI has already displayed strength in citizens’?collective action,?as well as individual action.

Throughout the year, Transparency International Sri Lanka together with?its?partners including?the?Sarvodaya?Shramadana?Sangamaya, has worked towards?furthering the cause of?RTI and raising public awareness through?the RTI request?facilitation hubs, street dramas, RTI van?and?RTI movie amongst other things.?In addition to?filing public interest RTI requests on a regular basis, TISL has?facilitated 610 requests?for members of?the public, working in 10 districts, and has?found that in most instances, information has been received by the requesters.?Sarvodaya?have?facilitated 233 RTI requests in the one year since the RTI Act became operational, across their 5 district RTI Hubs.

TISL commends the key role played by the Ministry of Mass Media?for their service?in training?information officers, designated officers and other public officials across the country.?Furthermore,?the efforts of?the RTI Commission in?hearing?appeals,?as well?as?getting?in place the other infrastructure needed, including the call for record management and proactive disclosure, among further creative?endeavours?such as online RTI training for government?officials?is noteworthy.?While recognizing the key?role played?by the?first?RTI Commission in any country, TISL notes with appreciation that Sri Lanka’s RTI Commission has in 84% of its recorded appeal decisions ordered the disclosure of information.

Commenting on the crucial?role of?the State in ensuring information disclosure,?Executive Director of?TISL, Asoka?Obeyesekere?stated, “We are encouraged by the?fact that many State institutions have?demonstrated their readiness?to?disclose?the?information they possess,?in a timely?fashion,?and would encourage citizens to?exercise their Right to Information and experience?first-hand an accountable state.”

TISL notes that there remain major concerns?for RTI rollout.?Public knowledge?regarding the existence and process of?the RTI Act has been?notably?inadequate, and much remains to be done on the part of?the State.?Similarly,?the transition?from the culture of?secrecy to one which allows public participation and scrutiny?continues to raise challenges.

TISL?further notes with concern the trend of?a vast number of?citizens resorting to the use of?RTI as a problem-solving tool due to the?failure of?public?services, and?encourages public authorities to observe such trends and take steps to?proactively?remedy?such issues.?However, it is also important to commend the numerous public authorities that have been proactive in their responses to RTI requests and have even gone so?far as to actively seek out knowledge on how to operationalize the RTI Act.

As we mark one year since the RTI in Sri Lanka?became a?reality,?TISL?called on the state?to?raise awareness regarding the RTI among citizens,?particularly?through?the state media,?and to continue its work on sensitizing the public sector on the need?for open and participatory governance.?TISL?further called upon citizens to exercise?their Right to Information to constructively engage in governance, and to protect this right?from any possibility of?dilution. (Colombo Gazette)