The Right To Information Coalition, OccupyGhana and Media Coalition on RTI known as ‘THE COALITION’ said it has sighted a document prepared by the Research Department of Ghana’s Parliament.

The content of the document estimated the cost of financing the setting up of the Information Commission and operating it for the first five years at GHC750 million.

The coalition said it would have hoped same was done to other laws like the Creation of Regions and the creation of Office of Special Prosecutor.

‘The coalition will follow up with the research department to understand the basis of its calculation and its understanding of the infrastructure required for the implementation. It is however, important to state that cost should not be an obstacle not to start the implementation of RTI; they said in a statement.

we must take into consideration the fact that transparency through RTI regime will save the country more than GHC750 million. The Auditor General in its 2016 Liabilities of MDAs disallowed GHC5.4 billion that would have been paid by Ghanaians’.

Read Full statement here:

BENEFITS OF RTI LAW FAR OUTWEIGH IMPLEMENTATION COST

The Right To Information Coalition, OccupyGhana and Media Coalition on RTI together called ‘THE COALITION’ have sighted a document prepared by the Research Department of Ghana’s Parliament.

The contents of the document estimated the cost of financing the setting up of the Information Commission and operating it for the first five years at GHC750 million.

We welcome the efforts of parliament to cost laws that would improve the lives of Ghanaians.

To us, this is a sign that the country is readying itself for the passage of the Bill into law.

The coalition hopes that this was done to other laws like the Creation of Regions and the creation of Office of Special Prosecutor.

The coalition will follow up with the research department to understand the basis of its calculation and its understanding of the infrastructure required for the implementation.

It is however, important to state that cost should not be an obstacle not to start the implementation of RTI.

We must take into consideration the fact that transparency through RTI regime will save the country more than GHC750 million.

The Auditor General in its 2016 Liabilities of MDAs disallowed GHC5.4 billion that would have been paid by Ghanaians.

Some of those disallowances were based on poor recording keeping.

Following surcharges, he has already retrieved GHC61 million.

The RTI Coalition has fought hard for an information commission to adjudicate disputes between the state and citizens before it goes to the high court.

Without the commission, citizens will have only recourse to high court if they are denied by a public institution.

This is why there are commissions in India, South Africa among others.