This morning, Hon. Cornelius Mweetwa, MP, the Minister of Information and Media, introduced the Access to Information Bill in the parliamentary session.
The primary objectives of the Access to Information Bill, N.A.B 24 of 2023, include designating the Human Rights Commission as an oversight institution for matters concerning access to information, outlining the right to access information and its limitations, establishing procedures for processing information requests, implementing the right to access information as stipulated in the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, and addressing related matters.
The Bill, presented for the first time in the House, has been referred to the Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technologies.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nelly Mutti, MP, has instructed the Committee to submit its report on the Bill by December 7, 2023. Members of the public interested in providing submissions on the matter are encouraged to do so within the committee’s work schedule.