Govt submits Access to Information Bill before Parliament for further scrutiny

Government has tabled before Parliament the Access to Information Bill for further scrutiny and possible enactment into law, authorities have said.

Chief Government Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, said the move was in line with keeping of elections promises which were made by President Hakainde Hichilema once elected into Office as Head of State.

Mweetwa who is Minister of Information and Media disclosed this during a media briefing at his office in Lusaka on Wednesday.

He said the objectives of Access to Information Bill once enacted into law would be to designate the Human Rights Commission (HRC) an oversight institution on matters of relating to access to information.

“It will provide for the right to access of information and its limitations, provide for procedures for processes of requests for information,” Mweetwa said.

He said the law would give effect to the right to accessing information as guaranteed in the Constitution, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

Mweetwa said it would also provide for matters connected with or incidental to the foregoing.

“This is one of the key core promises that then opposition leader Hichilema promised to deal with once elected into Office of Republican President and he has fuflfilled,” he said.

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