Federal Ministries Fall Short on RTI Compliance: FAFEN

The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has reported that most federal ministries and divisions fail to meet the disclosure standards set by the Right of Access to Information Act (RTI), 2017.

FAFEN warned that this gap encourages misinformation and disinformation, especially on social media, as the absence of timely, credible information on public institutions erodes trust in government bodies.

The organization emphasized the need to prioritize proactive information disclosure through technology rather than relying solely on legislative and regulatory measures, which could be misused. Proactive transparency would effectively combat misinformation and build public trust.

A FAFEN assessment of 40 divisions across 33 ministries revealed that none fully complied with the RTI Act's online disclosure mandates under Article 19-A of the Constitution. Additionally, over one-third of ministries failed to respond to information requests as required by law.

The evaluation, conducted from April to June 2024, assessed compliance using Section 5 of the RTI Act. This section outlines standards for public body overviews, reports, services, personnel details, policies, decision-making processes, financial records, and access mechanisms.

Division-wise analysis showed wide compliance disparities. The Cabinet Division and Inter-Provincial Coordination Division ranked highest, with 42 percent compliance.

Fifteen divisions achieved compliance between 31 and 40 percent, including Petroleum, Revenue, and Planning & Development. Thirteen divisions, such as Defence, Railways, and Science and Technology, scored between 21 and 30 percent compliance.

The lowest-scoring divisions were Finance, Industries and Production, and National Food Security and Research, each achieving only 23 percent compliance.