Sri Lanka’s Right to Information (RTI) global rating has jumped from 9th to 3rd place with the recent gazetting of the RTI Commission’s Rules on Fees and Appeals as well as the Regulations under the Act.
Toby Mendel
Issuing a statement today, the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD, Canada) which monitors the ratings of RTI laws around the world, said that this was ‘impressive.’ Commending the RTI Commission and Sri Lanka, Toby Mendel, Executive Director of CLD pointed out that “countries often go up a few points on the RTI Rating when they adopt Rules and Regulations.’ But this was a notable achievement for a country ‘which already had a very strong score’ globally, he said.
The RTI Commission comprises retired public servant Mahinda Gammanpila (Chair), well known RTI advocate Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena, retired President of the Court of Appeal AWA Salam, Dr Selvy Thiruchandran and attorney S.G. Punchihewa
The Rules and Regulations added a full ten points to Sri Lanka’s already strong score of 121 points out of a possible total of 150 on the RTI Rating. Sri Lanka now achieves a new score of 131 points and boasts the third strongest legal framework for RTI in the world and the strongest in South Asia, going even beyond India.
The gazetted Regulations include the RTI Commission’s proposals to tighten proactive disclosure duties of Public Authorities bound by the Sri Lanka’s RTI Act, specify criteria for the appointments of information officers and explicitly allow all information obtained under the RTI Act to be reused.
The CLD has pointed to key improvements including that Public Authorities are required to transfer requests to other authorities where they do not hold requested information, clarification of the Commission’s Rules on Fees which are progressive and the introduction of the open reuse of information. The power of the Commission to order Public Authorities to improve their general responses to information requests as well as ensure that training are provided to information officers are further factors.
Sri Lanka now faces the challenging task of implementing its strong legal framework for the right to information. The CLD has called on the Ministry, public authorities and the RTI Commission to ensure that this happens.
Non PhD / February 10, 2017
Courtesy of Rajapaksas and ofcourse Sumane… Abey….
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S.Modaya / February 11, 2017
Sri Lanka is wallowing in an abyss of corruption with its Minister of Injustice implicated in the Avant Guard military business of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and friends, so this RTI rating though positive should be contextualized against increase in corruption ratings over the past 2 years.
Today Sri Lanka is in a massive DEBT TRAP due to Corruption and failure to investigate and trace Mahinda Jarapassa family and cronies who are protected by the current Minister of Justice.
Of course, Ranil, Ravi K and Malik’s bond scam and money laundering operation was on advise from Washington’s IMF which encourages debt and the right wing Millennium Challenge Corp. IMF rather than tracing the funds that were stolen and kept in secret off shore banks accounts is putting SL in more debt while MCC economic hit men who are doing deep dives for information on SL are trying to run economic and security policy with Ranil as their puppet master through the SUPER Ministry!
Long way to go for transparency and accountability in Miracle of Modayas!
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Amarasiri / February 10, 2017
Toby Mendel
RE: Sri Lanka’s RTI Rating Jumps To Third Place Globally
“Sri Lanka’s Right to Information (RTI) global rating has jumped from 9th to 3rd place with the recent gazetting of the RTI Commission’s Rules on Fees and Appeals as well as the Regulations under the Act.”
This is indeed good news. Yahapalanaya, Good Governance see to be making progress, compared to the corrupt Mahinda Rajapaksa and cronies, who stile billions.
However, how long will it take before the requested information is made? How much did Mahinda Rajapaksa and cronies steal?
1 Month, 1 Year, 10 Years?
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LANKA NITIZEN / February 10, 2017
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Silva / February 11, 2017
How do they come up with these ratings!?
Clearly if just having a RTI in place (regardless of it working properly or not) is enough to improve the ratings of a country then something is seriously wrong with the rating system…
The RTI has to be tested and be rated after at least a thousand requests are made and how quickly the information was made available, was the correct information provided, were irrational excuse made to delay the providing of information.
Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD, Canada) please explain!?
#CentreForLawAndDemocracy #CLDCanada.
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nimal / February 11, 2017
Remove everything under our carpets and we would be in first place?
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Mallaiyuran / February 11, 2017
“Eddu Suraikkai Currikku uthavaathu” (Paper Bottle Guard Couldn’t be Cooked.)
An excellent masterpiece of a talented artist is of no use. Deformed or looking ugly,but still you have to bring one from farmland to cook curry out of it.
This is another 13A lousy vegetable manufactured in the Aappa Diplomacy Kitchen to make diplomats and NGOs idiots. Its place is government offices and libraries to display.
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Sunil / February 13, 2017
It is starting to appear that moves are being made to protect information that proves the guilt and crimes of the Rajapaksas criminal network from getting out!?
Who is really cunningly engineering these delay tactics and attempting to prevent these documents and information from reaching the public!?
This network must be investigated by INTERPOL and given to this government to help them take action…
They need the help of INTERPOL more than any training or funding…
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