RTI Commission warns of penalties for non-compliance with annual reporting requirements

The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has cautioned that public institutions may face penalties for failing to submit annual reports detailing their activities under the RTI Act, 2019 (Act 989), for the previous year.

The commission emphasized that this requirement is mandatory, yet many public institutions and private firms that receive public resources or provide public functions have not

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The purpose of the reporting regime, according to a Graphic Online report, is to account for RTI-related activities in all public institutions and identify issues arising from the Act's implementation.

The Executive Secretary of the RTI Commission, Yaw Sarpong Boateng, explained that the reports are not just stored by the commission but are part of a reporting line presented to Parliament through the Minister of Information.

Mr. Boateng highlighted that failure to provide information under the law could lead to prosecution for individuals and monetary penalties for institutions.

Section 77 of Act 989 mandates public institutions to submit a report on their RTI activities within 60 days after December 31 each year, including details such as the number of information requests, approvals, rejections, reviews requested, and judicial review outcomes.

To ensure compliance, the commission publishes reminders in newspapers, on its website, and through online portals at the beginning of each year.

Mr. Boateng noted that while many institutions are now meeting the reporting requirements, more awareness is needed as the Act is still new to many.

He emphasized that reducing bureaucracy in the application process for information requests would help expedite the implementation of the RTI regime.