Africa-Press – Namibia. THE Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology welcomed the passing of the long-awaited Access to Information (ATI) Bill by the National Council on Tuesday.
The ministry said that the ATI Bill was passed with minor amendments, a milestone that comes after its previous passing in the National Assembly in June. The Bill now awaits the signature of president Hage Geingob, before its published in the government Gazette as an Act of Parliament.
The ministry emphasised that the bill is an important piece of legislation that aims to promote free access to information from public institutions. The ATI bill will also compel private and public institutions to make information readily available for public consumption.
“It further cements Namibia’s stand in areas of good governance, transparency and accountability for a functional democracy,” the ministry added.
According to the ministry, once the bill is enacted into a law, it will also allow Namibians access to strategic information that can assist with making informed decisions.
The ministry explained that the enactment of the bill will also require the ministry to establish the Office of the independence Information Commissioner. This Office will be responsible for safeguarding and promoting the right to access to information among the public through awareness campaigns and educational/training programmes for citizenry.
The ministry said that all public and private institutions will also be required to appoint Information Officers, who will work closely with the Office of the Information Commissioner, to facilitate the provision of information dissemination to the public within their entities.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
