News
RTI Commission seeks Rs. 76 m to carry out its work efficiently
View(s):This was in response to public concern expressed in several quarters recently in regard to the funds required for the RTI Commission, given that the 2017 National Budget had not made any allocation for the Commission.
It was explained by the Commission that allocations are provided when the estimates are submitted to the Budget Department in advance of the Financial Year to enable the Treasury to include the same in the annual budget to be approved by Parliament.
The Commission came into existence during the end of last year with the initial appointments of retired public servant Mahinda Gammanpila (Chair) along with attorneys Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena and SG Punchihewa. Two further members, former President of the Court of Appeal, AWA Salam and social scientist Dr Selvy Thiruchandran were appointed in late December. Since the stage of preparing the budget had already lapsed by then, there had been no separate Vote of Expenditure apportioned to the RTI Commission. Therefore, the Finance Ministry had decided to allocate funds required for the Commission through the Chief Accountant of the Presidential Secretariat, (as the members of the Independent Commissions are appointed by the Head of the State, to undertake the preliminary accounting process).
The RTI Commission further pointed out that its office is located in the BMICH premises as an interim measure, along with a skeleton cadre recruited under approved public administration practices and under re-deployment procedure adopted in the public service. It was emphasized that this effort of the Commission ‘to establish its office from a zero point’, was underpinned by the independence of its members whose standing has been well recognized by the Constitutional Council which had recommended the members to the Head of the State for appointment to the Commission.
In addition, the Commission has stated that all recruitments to the body will be in line with the Scheme of Recruitment approved by the Finance Ministry as required by the Government. Accordingly, the Commission will advertise for the post of Director General who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in terms of paragraph 13 of the Right to Information Act (No 12 of 2016) in the near future.
Meanwhile, the filing of several Right to Information (RTI) requests under the RTI Act, No 12 of 2016 continued during the week. Information requests were also filed by senior trade unionists on non-governmental organizations including Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL). The requests were filed under Section 43(i) applicable to non-governmental organisations substantially funded by the Government, a foreign Government or an international organisation rendering a service to the public. In terms of the Act, RTI is applicable only to the extent of that service.
In addition to the Act allowing for the filing of such requests, Regulation 20 proposed by the RTI Commission and gazetted under the RTI Act on February 3 this year requires Public Authorities to subscribe to a voluntary disclosure policy in respect of information held by them.