Stop long talk and pass RTI Bill – Group chargest

A coalition calling itself the Right to Information Coalition is skeptical of a new assurance from government on the passage of the Right to Information Bill which has been on the drawing board for well over a decade.

Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah, is on record to have hinted of a July 2018 timeline for a possible passage of the Bill.

But the coalition doubts the assurance, saying this deadline may not be achieved.

Speaking on an Accra based FM station, Project Officer of the Coalition, Esther Ahulu charged government to prioritize the bill and lay it before Parliament for the consideration of the House.

She said several promises for the passage of the bill have not yielded any positive results “so why should we believe this time round that it will be fulfilled, because as we speak, the bill is still in cabinet, how does the process go on if the bill is in cabinet?”

“For almost a year now, the Bill is still with the executive. How does the process go on? We should move it a step forward, move it from cabinet to Parliament level so that from next year, [2018], Parliament can start working on it,” she added.

The coalition also said the current posture on the bill is disappointing hence their call.

New deadline

Mr. Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs whilst speaking to journalists last week, said Parliament would finish work on the Bill by the second meeting of the next session of the house, which translates to about July 2018.

“I want to believe that if we cross this meeting into the meeting of next year [2018], I should think by the close of the second meeting, we should be in the position to have dealt with the RTI Bill.”

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