All government ministries and the President’s Office have now completed proactive information disclosures required under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, marking what officials have described as a significant milestone for transparency and public access to information.
The development comes after President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu directed state institutions to actively publish information required under the RTI Act rather than waiting for information requests from the public.
The Right to Information Act, which came into force in 2014, requires state institutions to make certain categories of information publicly available. Section 37 of the law specifically outlines information that government institutions must disclose proactively on a regular basis to improve transparency and accountability.
Despite the legal requirement, the Information Commissioner’s Office (iCOM) had previously noted that many institutions had not consistently published the information mandated under the Act.
According to officials, all ministries have now completed the disclosure process, with several institutions publishing the required information for the first time.
Information Commissioner Ahid Rasheed welcomed the achievement, noting that 16 government institutions had completed proactive disclosures that had not previously been made available to the public.
The latest institutions to finalize their disclosures were the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education, which completed the process on Saturday.
Earlier, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Tourism, and Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage had also published their information as part of the initiative.
Other institutions that completed proactive disclosures include the President’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office.
According to the timeline released by authorities, the Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Climate Change and Energy, and Ministry of Health and Welfare published their information on May 21. The Ministry of Construction followed on May 31.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Finance completed their disclosures on June 1, while the President’s Office, Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Attorney General’s Office, and Ministry of Fisheries released their information on June 2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs completed its disclosure process on June 3.
The RTI Act is regarded as one of the key pieces of legislation governing transparency and accountability within the public sector. The law grants citizens the right to access information held by public institutions while also requiring government agencies to proactively publish certain categories of information without waiting for formal requests.
In recent weeks, the President’s Office has repeatedly highlighted efforts to improve compliance with the RTI Act. Chief Government Spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef previously stated that all pending RTI requests submitted to the President’s Office had been addressed, with the exception of information restricted under national security or privacy-related provisions of the law.
Officials have also indicated that efforts are underway to improve the accessibility of government information through institutional websites and digital platforms, making it easier for members of the public to obtain information about government activities.
The latest disclosures are expected to strengthen transparency across government institutions and improve public access to information required under the RTI framework.
