ID :
107354
Thu, 02/18/2010 - 20:39
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/107354
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PUBLIC AGENCY HEADS WARNED TO HEED INFORMATION OPENNESS LAW
Jakarta, Feb 18(ANTARA) - The heads of public agencies will be liable to a prison sentence if they deny the public access to information after Law Number 14/2008 on Information Openness comes into force next April 30, a public informaton offcial said.
"The law on public information transparency (UU KIP) is aimed at guaranteeing the public's right to information. So, anyone who is hindered in his or her effort to access information can report to the Central Information Commission or its regional chapters," Alamsyah Siregar, head of the Central Information Commission, said here on Thursday.
The provision on penalties for heads of public agencies that violate the law is put in Article 52 of the law.
Under the article, public agencies that deliberately do not provide, give, and/or produce public information periodically or public information that has to be made known to the public or public information that has to be made available to the public any time and/or public information that has to be given based on a request as regulated in the law to cause damages for others could be imprisoned for a year at the most or fined up to Rp5 million, he said.
"If a request for information is ignored and rejected and then after a mediation process it remains unavailable, they can also be prosecuted," he said.
Alamsyah said the KIP's role is improving openness on public information and it is the office that will conduct mediation in case of a dispute on public information.
"The commission has an authority to conduct mediation and summons as well as investigate documents and determine if the documents may be opened or not," he said.
He said there are two kinds of information in public agencies namely information which is exempt and open information.
Information which is exempt is regulated in Article 17 of the law, namely the one categorized as capable of endangering national security and defense, he said.
Alamsyah said if the agency concenred ignored a request for public information within seven days the applicant could refer it to the higher leadership but if within 30 days it remained ignored the applicant could file a lawsuit.
He said the KIP would expand its network to regions to promote information openess.
"We will expand the network and it is expected mentors will be available in every province in 2010," he said.
"The law on public information transparency (UU KIP) is aimed at guaranteeing the public's right to information. So, anyone who is hindered in his or her effort to access information can report to the Central Information Commission or its regional chapters," Alamsyah Siregar, head of the Central Information Commission, said here on Thursday.
The provision on penalties for heads of public agencies that violate the law is put in Article 52 of the law.
Under the article, public agencies that deliberately do not provide, give, and/or produce public information periodically or public information that has to be made known to the public or public information that has to be made available to the public any time and/or public information that has to be given based on a request as regulated in the law to cause damages for others could be imprisoned for a year at the most or fined up to Rp5 million, he said.
"If a request for information is ignored and rejected and then after a mediation process it remains unavailable, they can also be prosecuted," he said.
Alamsyah said the KIP's role is improving openness on public information and it is the office that will conduct mediation in case of a dispute on public information.
"The commission has an authority to conduct mediation and summons as well as investigate documents and determine if the documents may be opened or not," he said.
He said there are two kinds of information in public agencies namely information which is exempt and open information.
Information which is exempt is regulated in Article 17 of the law, namely the one categorized as capable of endangering national security and defense, he said.
Alamsyah said if the agency concenred ignored a request for public information within seven days the applicant could refer it to the higher leadership but if within 30 days it remained ignored the applicant could file a lawsuit.
He said the KIP would expand its network to regions to promote information openess.
"We will expand the network and it is expected mentors will be available in every province in 2010," he said.
