Government has assured the nation that contents of the Freedom of Information Dill (FoB) will be made transparent during its enactment process.
In a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today Information and Broadcasting minister Mike Mulongoti said re-tabling of the bill will be a culmination of consultations both local and abroad.
Mr. Mulongoti, who is also chief government spokesperson, said consultations at home have been based on the earlier draft, which had more input from stakeholders and little from the affected public bodies especially government.
He added that consultations abroad were aimed at gaining from the experiences of countries that have the freedom of information acts in place and were specifically in areas of implementation and creation of institutions for management of records and release of information.
Mr. Mulongoti said as a result of these consultations government has realized that there has to be a separation of the types of information of general activities by public bodies from personal and that involving state security and the process of arriving at government decisions.
Mr. Mulongoti said government will also take measures to prepare public bodies by training officers who will handle records and release information.
He added that it will be convenient for government to have such officers acquainted and trained on the types of information they will have to release to the public.
The chief government spokesperson has further assured the nation that government will at an appropriate time make the bill public and expect submissions to the relevant parliamentary committee.
This follows concerns and calls by United Liberal Party (ULP) president Sakwiba Sikota for government to disclose the contents of the bill following President Mwanawasa’s pronouncement about re-tabling the freedom of information bill during his opening address to parliament recently.
