RTI can best establish transparency
Saturday, 30 April 2011
Jubair Hasan
The Information Commission (IC) is contemplating including the private sector under the purview of Rights to Information Act (RTI) to ensure transparency and accountability, officials said Friday. The decision was taken in the light of concerns raised by common people, rights groups and civil bodies who have long been demanding such a move to ensure good governance both in the public and the private sectors. "We're making proposals to establish transparency in the sector as the RTI Act ignores the private sector," information commissioner Dr Sadika Halim said, adding that the move if approved will help eliminate corruption from private institutions like multi-national companies, pharmaceutical firms, banks, NGOs and garment factories. All private firms and institutions will have to recruit designated officers (DOs) to deal with the information seekers as people have the right to know how the companies are functioning, in which areas they are working, where funds are being spent, the aims and objectives of the implementing projects, etc. Dr Halim said the freedom of information law exclude private sector from their jurisdiction. Information held by the private sector cannot be accessed as a legal right. The information commissioner said this limitation entails serious implications because the private sector is performing many functions which were previously the domain of public sector. "As a result, information that was previously public is now with the private sector, and the private contractors cannot be forced to disclose information." The probe committee on recent stock market scam has identified around 100 powerful persons for their alleged involvement in the capital market manipulation. The committee also blamed some institutions, companies and individuals in this connection, she said. "RTI can be the best option to access the probe report and explore what type of corruption in the share market took place," the commissioner said.
The Information Commission (IC) is contemplating including the private sector under the purview of Rights to Information Act (RTI) to ensure transparency and accountability, officials said Friday. The decision was taken in the light of concerns raised by common people, rights groups and civil bodies who have long been demanding such a move to ensure good governance both in the public and the private sectors. "We're making proposals to establish transparency in the sector as the RTI Act ignores the private sector," information commissioner Dr Sadika Halim said, adding that the move if approved will help eliminate corruption from private institutions like multi-national companies, pharmaceutical firms, banks, NGOs and garment factories. All private firms and institutions will have to recruit designated officers (DOs) to deal with the information seekers as people have the right to know how the companies are functioning, in which areas they are working, where funds are being spent, the aims and objectives of the implementing projects, etc. Dr Halim said the freedom of information law exclude private sector from their jurisdiction. Information held by the private sector cannot be accessed as a legal right. The information commissioner said this limitation entails serious implications because the private sector is performing many functions which were previously the domain of public sector. "As a result, information that was previously public is now with the private sector, and the private contractors cannot be forced to disclose information." The probe committee on recent stock market scam has identified around 100 powerful persons for their alleged involvement in the capital market manipulation. The committee also blamed some institutions, companies and individuals in this connection, she said. "RTI can be the best option to access the probe report and explore what type of corruption in the share market took place," the commissioner said.