Current RTI Bill Has Some ‘Useless’ Clauses

The Programs Officer of Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC), Kwesi Boateng Assumeng, has raised concerns about some clauses in the current Right to Information (RTI) Bill, saying their inclusion in the bill would render it “useless.”

According to him, “Information on tax liabilities should be made available and maintaining them as exempt information only implies that object of the RTI Bill has been defeated.”

“Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) is of the view that some salient clauses of the Bill need to be looked at- Clause 12 that borders on exempt provision on tax liabilities and tax returns.

“It's in government’s own interest to make available tax liabilities information so that we know that the appropriate bodies are paying the right kind of tax,” he added.

He said this in Ho, the Volta Regional Capital when the (RTI) Coalition, made up of public, private and civil society organizations (CSOs), took its campaign to the region.

The coalition’s focus is to promote good governance and fight corruption in Ghana.

For almost two decades, the Ghana Anti- Corruption Coalition (GACC), Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) and SEND-Ghana have been leading the campaign for the passage of the RTI Bill into law.

The meeting in Ho was to engage the media and inform them about key aspects to ensure a formidable and credible RTI Law.

The RTI Bill, which is expected to make credible information readily available to every Ghanaian to help promote transparency in the public sector, has been in Parliament for over 17 years because successive governments have failed to pass it despite numerous assurances.

Mr Assumeng disclosed that principles on maximum disclosure and proactive disclosure should be considered to enable Ghanaians obtain a credible law.

Despite the challenges, Mr Assumeng applauded the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for reviewing two clauses in the RTI Bill.

From Fred Duodu and Collins Anku ([email protected])