For getting benefits from RTI Act
Thursday, 4 November 2010
The Right to Information Act can play an important role in ensuring transparency and accountability. The government spends a big amount of money for development work like building infrastructure and developing healthcare and educational facilities for the poor, but there are scopes of corruption and misuse of the funds.
It is possible to reduce corruption and utilise development funds in a more efficient way if people's access to information can be ensured.
Utilisation of RTI law as a development tool can make sure that people know all information about the development projects. They should know about the funds and how the money is being spent for the project implementation.
Policymakers must have the political will to implement the RTI Act in an effective way and tackle the operational challenges of the law. Information Commission should be strengthened to minimise the effect of the exemption in the law regarding disclosure of information. Government should allocate special fund in the national budget for RTI implementation and functioning of Information Commission.
The role of media will be identified through discussion so that it can be used as a tool to ensure effective implementation of the RTI Act and its utilisation in development works.
Right to Information Act was introduced in Bangladesh on April, 2009. But establishing the mechanisms to get the benefits out of the law is taking too long. Thus, the RTI Act in Bangladesh so far has only cosmetic value.
Therefore, the clamour to make the law fully enforceable needs to be louder.
Faiz Ahmed
Wari, Dhaka.
It is possible to reduce corruption and utilise development funds in a more efficient way if people's access to information can be ensured.
Utilisation of RTI law as a development tool can make sure that people know all information about the development projects. They should know about the funds and how the money is being spent for the project implementation.
Policymakers must have the political will to implement the RTI Act in an effective way and tackle the operational challenges of the law. Information Commission should be strengthened to minimise the effect of the exemption in the law regarding disclosure of information. Government should allocate special fund in the national budget for RTI implementation and functioning of Information Commission.
The role of media will be identified through discussion so that it can be used as a tool to ensure effective implementation of the RTI Act and its utilisation in development works.
Right to Information Act was introduced in Bangladesh on April, 2009. But establishing the mechanisms to get the benefits out of the law is taking too long. Thus, the RTI Act in Bangladesh so far has only cosmetic value.
Therefore, the clamour to make the law fully enforceable needs to be louder.
Faiz Ahmed
Wari, Dhaka.