RTI: Ghanaians to be given free access – Commission

• The Executive Director of the Right to Information Commission has said that offices will be established across the country to make it easy for people to access for the implementation of the law

• He said the measures are in place to ensure that an online system is created for people to have access to information without any stress

• He said the system will be made free and an individual doesn’t need to need to pay anything to get onto the system

The Executive Secretary of the Right to Information Commission, Yaw Sarpong Boateng, has said that plans are in place to establish offices across the country to make it easy for people to access the law.

He said the plan is to ensure that the law works to make it easy to access information by both the media and the general public.

He said an online system would be made available in the meantime for all persons to have access to information.

“The RTI Commission intends or plans to have offices across the country that will bring the implementation of the law closest to the people of Ghana and to the citizens in general. Our intension is that will be our long-term plan but in the short term we would have an online system which can actually take application or appeals and then we will also be able to hear parties online. So remotely we can meet the demands of the public in terms of the law,” he said.

He also added that the platform will be made free of charge and to make it easy for people to access information.

“It is going to be very accessible; you don’t need to pay anything to get onto the system, it’s a free system as anticipated by the law so it is a public service,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Investigative Journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni has stated that many journalists wish to have access to information but the frustrations that comes with having access to information has become a major deterrent.

Source: ghanaweb.com