Namibian deputy minister of information Stanley Simataa has promised to propose an access to information bill in July, according to an article in The Namibian.
The pledge came in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by Frans Nghitila, director of media relations in the information ministry, during the Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Namibia’s World Press Freedom Day held in Windhoek.
“Simataa said under the Harambee Prosperity Plan, government seeks to promote access to public information, address journalists’ concerns about the bureaucratic nature of accessing information from public bodies and advance transparency and accessibility,” summarized the newspaper. “He also said in the spirit of the Harambee plan, his ministry is expediting the deployment of e−governance to cover all ministries and public agencies by 2020.”
Jean−Pierre IIboudo from the UNESCO Windhoek office supported passage an access law at the event, saying: “The fuel that drives the engine is information, and therefore access to information is critical.”
FreedomInfo.org recently reported on a new video in Namibia that effectively promotes the virtues of access to government information, but seriously downplays the practical difficulties of actually getting information.
Filed under: What's New