No ATI Bill, says govt
Tabling of the much-publicised Access to Information (ATI) Bill in the forthcoming Parliament sitting has further been delayed, it has been learnt.
Briefing journalists in Lilongwe on Monday, Minister of Information, Tourism and Civic Education Jappie Mhango, flanked by Minister of Transport and Public Works Francis Kasaila, said the bill will not be tabled this year.
Said Kasaila: “The Bill is not yet ready because it has so many complexities that need to be ironed out and discussed by legal experts before it is tabled during this coming sitting of Parliament.”
On his part, Mhango assured that government will take the Bill to Parliament, but that it needs thorough scrutiny.
The position given by the two ministers contradicts President Peter Mutharika’s statement during his tour of the sugar factory in Salima where he promised Malawians that the ATI Bill was ready for Parliament, according to National Media Institute of Southern Africa (Namisa) chairperson Thom Khanje.
In September last year, former Minister of Information Kondwani Nankhumwa, now at Local Government and Rural Development, told journalists in Lilongwe the Bill would be tabled this year. He attributed the delays to the need for further scrutiny.
Reacting to the developments yesterday, Khanje remained optimistic the ATI Bill will still be brought to Parliament during this sitting which the President is expected to open this Friday.
If passed into law, the ATI Bill will give people the right to access to information which is under the control of a public authority to enable them make informed decisions.
Other bills expected to be tabled include the Insolvency Bill and the Land Bill.
Kasaila said Parliament is also expected to debate the President’s statement for five days before bills are brought into the House. n
If there was time to get united for a common cause it is now. We need to camp at parliament and state house until the bill is debated and passed otherwise these people are taking us for granted! We need to take charge of our country as there seem not be anybody working in our interests.