President Panuelo submits Freedom of Information Act to FSM Congress
President David Panuelo of the Federated States of Micronesia has introduced a proposed Freedom of Information Act to establish a legal right for citizens to access government data. This legislation aims to institutionalize transparency, openness, and accountability by creating formal procedures and remedies for public information disclosure, filling a gap currently existing in the constitution. The bill mandates national agencies to publish organizational details and designates specific information officers to manage requests. These roles are intended to eliminate bureaucratic silos, ensure consistency, and minimize misinformation, thereby fostering a culture of accountability within public service while balancing necessary exceptions for national security and diplomatic relations. This initiative is highly relevant to the open_data movement as it represents a critical step toward democratizing access to public sector information. By legally guaranteeing the right to data and structuring government workflows to facilitate disclosure, the act promotes the core open_data principles of transparency and civic empowerment through accessible, reliable public records.
Source: pina.com.fjPublished on 2023-08-15
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