Lanka Business Online: Sri Lanka:
Saturday, May 06, 2017.
Sri Lanka’s
newly enacted Right to Information (RTI) Act if used effectively can be key for
the country’s transition to upper-middle income status and to increasing its
shared prosperity, a senior World Bank official said.
“RTI law is a
game changer in Sri Lanka’s path to prosperity if used with a focus on
development effectiveness,” Jan Walliser, the World Bank’s vice president for
Equitable Growth, Finance and Institutions, who arrived in Colombo Wednesday
for an official two-day visit said.
“It is a tool
for all citizens especially the economically weak, the private/non-government
sector, and the media to play a key role in the decision making process of the
public sector.”
He also
reiterated the Bank’s commitment to support the implementation of the law
together with other development partners and key stakeholders.
The Act came
into effect in February 2017 bringing with it a promise of open government,
citizens’ active participation in governance, and accountability to the people
of the country.
The Ministry
of Mass Media and Parliamentary Reform says it has been laying the groundwork
of RTI, with trainings for public officials and appointments of the key
information officers and designated officers.
The ministry
said they are working closely with the RTI Commission, which is vested with
wide powers under the Act, such as to hear appeals, institute action against
alleged offenders, and prescribe guidelines on record management and proactive
disclosure.
Walliser
during his visit will gain firsthand understanding of Sri Lanka’s reform
agenda, key for the country’s transition to upper-middle income status and to
increasing its shared prosperity.
“Sri Lanka
has made a strong commitment to implement comprehensive fiscal, economic, and
governance reforms,” he said.
“I look
forward to my meetings with the government to understand how the World Bank
Group can further strengthen its ongoing support for these initiatives.”
He will be
meeting with Senior Government officials, with the private sector as well as
with the RTI Commission.