Hot Source
A new Corruption Watch investigation has uncovered breaches of Ghana’s Right to Information (RTI) law, with some public institutions paying or facing fines that together exceed GHC5.6 million.
The report, released on Monday and titled “Saga Over RTI: Millions Paid as Penalty,” reveals that the Ghana Police Service, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Parliament, the Judicial Service, the Attorney-General’s Department and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) are among the worst offenders.
The Ghana Police Service has already paid GHC450,357 in fines. Parliament has paid GHC53,785, and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has paid GHC200,000. The Attorney-General’s Department still owes GHC50,000, and the Judicial Service owes GHC100,000.
Some agencies face even bigger penalties. The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) tops the list with a fine of GHC1.365 million. The Ministry of Education has paid GHC260,000, the Lands Commission GHC150,000, the Ghana Audit Service GHC60,000, and the Public Procurement Authority owes GHC100,000.
Corruption Watch points out that these fines are being paid with public money. This means ordinary Ghanaians are footing the bill for government offices that refuse to follow the law.
“These are the very institutions that should be helping people get information, not blocking it,” the group said.
The RTI law, passed in 2019, gives everyone the right to ask for information from public institutions. But Corruption Watch found that many agencies are still refusing to release documents or are too slow to respond, even after the RTIC ordered them to comply.
Corruption Watch Ghana is calling on government institutions to obey the law and stop wasting public funds on needless fines.
The post Ghana Police Service,SSNIT, Ministry of Education, and other govt agencies fined millions for breaking RTI law appeared first on The Herald ghana.
