Sri Lanka Marks 10 Years of Right to Information Act

A special event was held this morning at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute Auditorium to mark International Right to Information Day and the completion of 10 years since the implementation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act in Sri Lanka.

The welcome address was delivered by Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Development / Information Research and Policy) Nalini Balasubramaniam.

Addressing the gathering, Dayalankapura, Chairman of the Right to Information Commission, spoke about the introduction of the RTI Act and efforts made to raise public awareness about the legislation.

He stressed that the public still needs to be further educated about the right to information and also explained the manner in which the RTI Commission carries out its functions.

Keynote Address

The keynote address was delivered by President’s Counsel Prasanta Lal de Alwis, Principal of the Sri Lanka Law College.

He provided an analysis of the RTI Commission’s functions and the legislation, while also discussing the difficulties faced by the Commission in operating with limited resources and staff.

Awards were presented by the invited guests to the winners of a school competition held in connection with the RTI programme.

A speech representing civil society organisations was delivered by Maheshi Herath of Transparency International.

A short drama based on the Right to Information was also staged during the event.

Strengthening the Right to Information

Tilaka Jayasundara, Secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development, addressing the gathering, spoke about the strength of Sri Lanka’s RTI legislation and the country’s progress in international rankings relating to the right to information.

Deputy Minister of Mass Media Dr. Kaushalya Ariyaratne said that the Right to Information Act represents a citizen’s right.

She stated that Sri Lanka currently ranks fourth according to the relevant global rankings, and said the RTI Act could be used as a means of exercising and protecting citizens’ rights.

She said the government was pursuing a policy of open governance and was taking measures including updating government websites.

The Deputy Minister also said the government was taking steps to address issues faced by the RTI Commission and was prepared to further strengthen the right to information.

Book Launch and Commemorative Awards

A book was also launched and commemorative mementoes were presented at the event under the patronage of Minister of Mass Media Nalinda Jayatissa.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Nalinda Jayatissa spoke about the origins of the RTI Act, democratic governments and the way in which the legislation has strengthened the public.

He said that, in accordance with the government’s mandate, the right to information is also part of the objective of creating “a beautiful life” for the people.

The Minister stressed that reviewing and following up on the implementation of the Act was also extremely important, particularly because the legislation was one that had been demanded by society.