By Elina-Ombili Shishaki |
In readiness of the Access to Information Act (ATI), the Communication Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) has appointed its Executive for Communication and Consumer Relations, Mr. Mufaro Nesongano, to serve as an Information Officer in its ATI department.
Ms. Jennifer Pogisho, who is CRAN’s Manager for Access to Information, has been appointed to serve as the Deputy Information Officer.
The two will serve in the newly established Access to Information Division within CRAN’s Communication and Consumer Relations department, and have been tasked with ensuring that information is managed in a manner that fosters transparency, accountability and good governance.
This division will be responsible for proactively publishing information, responding to requests to access, and facilitating internal reviews, appeals and judicial processes related to information access.
The Access to Information (ATI) Act 8 of 2022 is yet to be operational.
“In anticipation of and in order to align with the requirements of ATI Act, CRAN has undertaken this measure to appoint an Information Officer and a Deputy Information Officer to oversee the upcoming implementation of the ATI Act within the institution,” Pogisho highlighted.
She added that there is a development of an Information Manual document that outlines the procedures for requesting information, expected response times, associated costs and other critical details for stakeholders.
She further emphasised that access to accurate and timely information is a fundamental pillar of democracy and good governance and it empowers citizens to make informed decisions, and it enhances accountability within both public and private institutions.
Although the ATI Act was passed by Parliament and signed by the President it is yet to be enforced, it establishes the right of individuals to access information held by both public and private entities of which CRAN forms part of such institutions.
“The primary aim of the law is to ensure that information essential for the protection or exercise of personal freedoms is readily available.”
To ensure that there is confidentiality, the Act outlines specific exemptions, allowing entities to withhold classified, personal or confidential, or third-party information or where disclosure would infringe on the rights of others.
“The introduction and eventual implementation of ATI Act marks a transformative period for Namibia, reinforcing the country’s commitment to transparency and democratic governance.
“CRAN acknowledges that this Act does not replace existing channels of information sharing but rather strengthen the framework for the proactive and structured dissemination of information to all stakeholders.” Pogisho said.
In the photo: CRAN’s newly appointed Deputy Information Officer Ms Jennifer Pogisho.
