Ministry prepares access to public information bill

By The guardian reporter

Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister, Dr Asha-Rose Migiro

A paper proposing a bill that will enact laws to allow the public and other stakeholders access to public information from public offices has been prepared.


Constitutional and Legal Affairs minister Dr Asha-Rose Migiro said the government is committed to observing Open Government Partnership (OGP) as part of its efforts to enhance good governance in all levels.

“My ministry has prepared Paper proposing enactment of the Right to Information Act. It is our hope that this process will be complete by December this year,” said Dr Migiro.

Presenting the ministry’s estimates for financial year 2014/2015 before the Parliamentary Committee on Constitution, Legal Affairs and Governance yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Migiro said these efforts are in line with the requirement of article 18 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania.

“Our goal is to enhance transparency in government businesses in all levels… this is in line with the requirement of article 18 of the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania and that of Open Government Partnership,” the minister said.
Migiro also told the committee that the government is also committed to reduce piling up of cases in the country’s courts as well as overcrowding of inmates in prisons.

According to her, the Judiciary has recently initiated an internal arrangement whereby every Judge and Magistrate has an average number of cases that should be disposed of per year.

“In the Court of Appeal, the goal is to dispose between 1,200 and 1,400 annually while every High Court Judge should dispose between 200 and 250 cases in a year,” she said adding that under the same arrangement, Resident Magistrates at Regional and District levels are to handle between 250 and 300 annually.

The minister told the committee that overcrowding is slowly being reduced, thanks to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) whose office examines files from investigative organs before going to courts.

“The number of inmates’ has dropped from 18,203 in June, 2012 to 17,284 in March, 2014,” the minister told the Committee of 19.

Speaking after the minister’s presentation, the Committee’s Chairperson, William Ngeleja hailed the ministry for its efforts in addressing challenges facing the legal sector.

“This internal arrangement by the Judiciary is very impressive, “said Ngeleja who is also the Member of Parliament for Sengerema.
He further appealed to the government to provide more funds to the ministry which he said is under funded.  

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN