Set up units to facilitate access to information — Yaw Sarpong Boateng
Ghana’s Right to Information Commission emphasizes the urgent need for public institutions to establish dedicated information units headed by trained officers. This structural change is essential for processing, maintaining, and preserving accurate public data, ensuring compliance with the 2019 Act 989. By formalizing these roles, institutions can effectively generate authentic information, thereby fulfilling their legal obligations and preventing misconduct related to information withholding. The legislation serves as a critical governance tool designed to foster transparency and accountability within state and publicly funded bodies. By empowering citizens to access records, the law strengthens democratic participation and encourages civic engagement. The mandated requirement for annual publication of updated information manuals further supports sustainable development, transforming access to information from a privilege into a constitutional right that drives good governance. This topic is vital to open_data because it highlights the institutional barriers preventing effective data dissemination. The article reveals that despite legal frameworks, significant implementation gaps remain, with many institutions failing to share information or educate the public. These insights underscore the necessity of proactive data governance and user education, demonstrating that open data initiatives require not just technical infrastructure, but also strong institutional commitment and legal enforcement to achieve true transparency.
Source: businessghana.comPublished on 2023-07-29