RTI Act a major step towards democracy, transparency: Gayantha

The enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act was a big step forward to protect and promote transparency, rule of law, democracy and Fundamental Rights but it would take time for the country to reap the benefits of the RTI as it is still in its infant stage, Mass Media and Parliamentary Reforms Minister Gayantha Karunatilaka said.

Addressing the launching ceremony of the RTI at Temple Trees, Minister Karunatilaka went onto say that the enactment of the RTI also symbolized the concept of good governance practised in the country.

“The RTI is for the benefit of the public as a whole. It is a misconception to believe that this is for the media alone. The public now have the right to question officials, the contractor or the engineer who approved a new road construction or refurbishment of the public dispensary in their village, if and when the job was found to be shoddy and the roads have deteriorated in a few months. The same questions could be raised on a mega project or contract that involved billions of rupees or dollars,” Minister Karunatilaka stressed and added this was the true meaning of transparency and good governance.

Minister Karunatilaka said the enactment of the RTI however was not an easy task as the government would have to train public officials including Ministry

The RTI is for the benefit of the public as a whole. It is a misconception to believe that this is for the media alone

Secretaries, heads of departments and most importantly the public on what the RTI offered. In addition, nearly 10,000 officials have to be trained as Information Officers to be appointed to all state establishments to impart information on the respective institutions when required by a member of the public or the media. If they fail to provide the required information within the stipulated time frame which is 14 days, the officer in question must give the inquirer a valid reason for the delay. If it was deemed to be a deliberate suppression of information, the official will be dealt with in court. However, no one has the right to demand information on personal matters of an individual, issues pertaining to national security, agreements Sri Lanka has signed with foreign nations etc. He said the concept of an RTI was first mooted by the late Information Minister Dharmasiri Senanayaka during President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s time in office and thereafter Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Speaker Karu Jayasuriya attempted to introduce the RTI Act as a Private Members’ Bill but the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa put a stop to it being brought in.