NATIONAL Assembly yesterday passed the long-awaited access to information bill, 2016, with the government describing it as a fresh law to improve accountability and transparency in the country.
The bill which had been during debates
criticised by opposition MPs, is grounded on helping citizens to access
information from public institutions and neither had intention to gang
press freedom.
Constitution and Legal Affairs Minister
Dr Harrison Mwakyembe said when winding up his debate “am surprised”
with how opposition and other MPs criticised the bill.
He said Tanzania started working on the
law some 10 years ago and now MPs had failed to differentiate between
the media access bill and the access to information bill.
“The bill is not related to press and it
should not be correlated,” Dr Mwakyembe who is a journalist and legal
expert told the national assembly.
The bill passed by the parliamentarians
had some minor changes including the penalties from the first stated 15
to 20 years imprisonment for information officer issuing false
information to between two and five years.
Mr Mwakyembe said however the bill will
broaden chances for journalists to access state information as citizens.
But according to Mwakyembe the law will be applicable in Tanzania
Mainland and can be formalised by the Zanzibar House of Representative
at their own discretion.
On the timeframe to issue information,
the minister said the 30-day time was a best period regarding the volume
of application that one institution can receive from across the
country.
He said the ministry will develop
regulations that will determine the number of days and information
requested to be availed to the applicant.
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