FAFEN report reveals that public bodies proactively disclose 48% of information required by law
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) logo. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Government bodies in Balochistan proactively disclose an average of 48 percent of the information required under the Balochistan Right to Information (BRTI) Act, 2021, reveals the latest transparency assessment report released by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).
The assessment is part of FAFEN’s Countering Disinformation through Information Campaign, which emphasizes the importance of proactive disclosures by public authorities to strengthen institutional transparency and counter misinformation and disinformation.
The assessment reviewed 66 public bodies in the province, including 39 secretariat departments, 12 associate departments and 15 autonomous bodies, against the proactive disclosure requirements prescribed in Section 5 of the BRTI Act.
The Act mandates proactive disclosure of nine categories of information about a public body. It also emphasizes the publication of up-to-date information in accessible formats, including over the Internet.
Overall, the autonomous bodies fared relatively better, disclosing an average of 59 per cent of the required information, followed by associate departments at 46 per cent, while secretariat departments lagged behind at 44 per cent.
Among the secretariat departments, the Departments of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Information, Planning and Development, and Urban Planning and Development emerged as the most transparent, with each disclosing 70 percent of the required information.
Among affiliated departments, Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) and Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) led with 60 percent compliance.
Among autonomous bodies, the Balochistan Education and Endowment Fund and the University of Turbat disclosed 80 percent of the required information.
Despite these high-performing public bodies, the assessment found widespread gaps in compliance.
A large number of public bodies disclosed only 40-50 percent of the required information, while several public bodies lagged even further behind, disclosing as little as 10-30 percent of the information.
Basic organizational information, such as functions, duties and institutional structure, was the most accessible information across nine categories, disclosed by 98 percent of public bodies.
Legal frameworks for the operation of public bodies were available on 80 percent of the websites assessed, while 73 percent disclosed information about public services and delivery conditions.
About 21 percent of public bodies published some budget-related information, including proposed or actual spending.
Information about grant or benefit programs was disclosed by 15 percent of public bodies, while two percent of public bodies provided some details about recipients of concessions, permits, licenses or permits.
