Usham says RTI Act being misused by some individuals

Attorney General Ahmed Usham said on Wednesday that some individuals are misusing the Right to Information Act while seeking information from government institutions.

Usham made the remarks during a press conference at the President's Office in response to a question from a journalist regarding the failure of several state institutions, including the President’s Office, to provide information within the framework required by law.

Responding to the question, Usham said enforcement action related to breaches of the RTI Act does not fall directly under the mandate of the Attorney General’s Office.

He stated, however, that government institutions are legally required to provide information in accordance with the law.

Usham said the legislation was introduced with a specific purpose and noted that information should be provided to individuals using the law appropriately. At the same time, he said there has been an increase in requests that misuse the provisions of the Act.

“It is vital to provide information to those using the RTI Act appropriately. However, we are increasingly observing instances where the RTI law is being abused,” Usham said.

According to Usham, the way some requests are submitted requires government agencies to spend considerable time processing and preparing responses.

He did not specify the forms of misuse referred to during the press conference.

Earlier, Home Minister Ali Ihusan also commented on the issue, stating that some individuals request information with the intention of causing “harassment”.

Ihusan said the process of compiling and releasing information involves costs and suggested that a fee-based system for information requests could be considered.