Right to information is foundation of democratic governance, says president

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the right to seek and obtain information is a fundamental element of democratic governance and an important factor in maintaining public trust in government institutions.

The President made the remarks on Monday following the publication of information by government ministries and state institutions in accordance with requirements set out under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

According to the President, this marks the first time since the enactment of the RTI Act in 2014 that all ministries, government institutions and the President's Office have publicly disclosed the information required to be published under the law.

In a post on social media, President Muizzu said the disclosures have made a large amount of government information accessible to the public.

“This is a step taken towards increasing public trust by providing information to citizens in a transparent and open manner,” the President said.

He described the development as an important milestone in efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability within government institutions.

The President also thanked staff members across state institutions who contributed to the publication of the information.

He said the government would continue to make use of digital platforms to improve public access to information and pledged to continue efforts aimed at increasing public participation in government activities and decision-making processes.

Under Section 37 of the RTI Act, state institutions are required to proactively publish information in the public interest at least once each year.

The information includes details of institutional mandates, organisational structures, services provided to the public, complaint mechanisms, record-keeping procedures, categories of information held by institutions, and guidelines for requesting information.

The Act also requires institutions to publish information relating to the responsibilities and powers of senior officials, laws and regulations governing their work, decisions affecting the public and the reasons behind those decisions.

Other information that must be disclosed includes opportunities for public participation in policy-making, budget allocations, planned and actual expenditure, employee salaries and allowances, codes of conduct, and institutional accountability mechanisms.

The publication of the information follows ongoing efforts by the government to improve compliance with the provisions of the RTI Act and increase public access to official records.