The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has lamented low funding to the implementation of the Access To Information (ATI) Act.
Addressing the press in Lilongwe yesterday ahead of this year’s ATI Day commemoration, MHRC executive secretary Habiba Osman said while the commission is mandated to oversee implementation of the ATI Act, over the years funds allocated towards the drive have been less than 30 percent of the budget.
This year’s ATI Day commemoration will be held on October 10 in Mzuzu.
Osman observed that the dwindling levels of finance have affected the civic education side, as more people are yet to be reached with proper information on how to access information in their respective districts.
Meanwhile, MHRC alongside the Media Council of Malawi (MCM) and the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) will celebrate this year’s International Day of Universal Access to Information at a day-long outdoor event with activities aimed at providing a forum to community members, media actors, information holders, and stakeholders for unmatched dialogue and networking opportunities.
In his remarks, CHRR executive director Michael Kaiyatsa said more needs to be done for ATI to be fully embraced and benefit people.
Weighing in, MCM executive director Moses Kaufa called for increased investment in ATI.
This year’s ATI Day theme is ‘Empowering communities through digital literacy: Access to information for all’ and it places emphasis on the importance of digital literacy as a tool for empowering individuals and communities.
