Fees for making freedom of information requests will be cut and more information will be provided about private organizations performing public functions, according to Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni.
“When the state transfers resources into private hands,” Livni said, “the communication needs to be transparent and open for public scrutiny… the relationship needs to be transparent, accessible, and open to the public,” Livni was quoted as saying in a New Israel Fund (NIF) blog post.
This breakthrough is the result of a concerted campaign by NIF grantee, the Movement for Freedom of Information, according to the posting.
The minister also agreed to a long-standing demand by the Movement for Freedom of Information, ordering an 80 percent cut of all FOI-related fees, the posting says.
Movement for Freedom of Information Director Alona Winograd said: “This takes a step forward in the quest to ensure freedom of information in Israel. It allows the public to monitor cases where the government has decided to privatize. It ensures that the government has an obligation to report to its citizens. This will lead to better behavior, and to strengthening the public’s faith in the government.”
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