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Parliament has approved the Right to Information Bill (RTI).\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Bill which was passed after its third reading at 8:30pm Tuesday, March 26, will now await Presidential assent to be fully recognised as law.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The purpose of the RTI law will provide for the operationalisation of the constitutional right to information held by\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the public\u00a0and some private institutions, subject to exemptions that are necessary and consistent with the protection of public interest in a democratic society.<\/span><\/p>\n It also seeks to foster a culture of transparency and accountability in public affairs and to provide for related matters.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The RTI Bill was first drafted in 1999, reviewed in 2003, 2005 and 2007 but was only presented to Parliament in 2010. It was brought back to the Sixth Parliament but could not be passed till the expiration of that Parliament on January 6, 2016.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Momentum, however, to get the bill passed gathered in 2017 following the formation of the Media Coalition on RTI and other bodies which have in the past 11 months, piled pressure on Parliament to pass it.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Related:\u00a0<\/span><\/span>RTI Bill implementation to cost \u00a2750m<\/b><\/p>\n Some members of Parliament had feared that the passage of the Bill will rob government of confidential information.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adansi Asokwa MP, K.T. Hammond,<\/span><\/span> acknowledged that although its passage will be useful to journalists,\u00a0it may not necessarily augur well for governance in the country.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou need peace of mind to run a government. You need to concentrate and if you have a bill and before the ink dries on it, somebody is asking you to \u2018bring this document\u2019\u2026to the extent that we are talking about communication between the president, the vice president and cabinet, potentially, there will be no secret in government,\u201d he said.<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n But it appears the Speaker of Parliament and government have kept to their assurances of getting the Bill passed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The law will, however, be implemented at the\u00a0beginning of 2020.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Bill almost went unpassed as Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu called for further amendments to be made to it, Joy News\u2019 Joseph Opoku Gakpo reported from Parliament.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n He had wanted to evoke Order 130 which allows for any amendments to be made to any Bill before its third reading.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Mr Iddrisu also cited Clause 41, 18 and 21 as the basis for his demand for \u201ca second consideration stage of the Bill.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The Majority Leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu disagreed.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Calling out Mr Iddrisu for being \u201calways in a hurry,\u201d he did not see the need for his request, adding that \u201cthe Minority Leader should wait until we make a pronouncement on the proposal.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Tempers flared following the Majority Leader\u2019s comment but the Speaker was able to bring the situation under control leading to the successful passage of the Bill.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n When the 2nd Deputy Speaker, Alban Bagbin, who oversaw proceedings today, expressed joy that \u201cat long last, the RTI Bill has now survived in this House.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.ghanamma.com\/2019\/03\/1414265609604_3677284977812.jpg\"\/)
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