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| Malawi Members of press in 2014 holding peaceful march calling for ATI enactment |
Blantyre City Council (BCC) has received the Golden Key Award for MISA Malawi 2016 Transparency Assessment while Ministry of Health is this year’s recipient of the Golden Padlock Award.
The awards were presented at Bridge View Hotel in Lilongwe on Tuesday evening by Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter following the study which assessed 9 public institutions whether they are proactively making public information available and easily accessible via online presence in form of a website and degree of information they provide upon request through a questionnaire
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| Khanje presenting Golden Key to BCC PRO Kasunda |
The Golden Key Award to the BCC is an acknowledgement of the council’s efforts to disclose information to the public while the Golden Padlock Award to Ministry of Health shows secrecy with the public information at the ministry, meaning it does not meet recommended standards for the disclosure of public information.
Blantyre City Council emerged the winner for displaying openness with degree of information they provided within 24 hours upon request and for having a transparent website which were the main two methodologies used to assess all institutions.
The council managed to earn a whopping 17 points out of 20 (17/20) on degree of information they provided within 24 hours upon request and further scored 14 points out of 20 (14/20) for having web presence with well detailed and up to date information.
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| Chikungwa receiving Padlock Award on behalf of Ministry |
Sadly, Ministry of Health got least score of 2 points out of 20 (2/20) on degree of information upon request making it an institution with high level of secrecy as well got 6 marks out of 20 (6/20) for having limited website and rarely updated Facebook account.
On average scores, however, six institutions scored average level of openness and only five institutions had average transparent website. On final category, two institutions; Ministry of Health and Blantyre Water Board displayed high level of secrecy while three institutions including Lilongwe Water Board had a very limited websites.
National Director for MISA Malawi, Aubrey Chikungwa who presented the findings of the study described the Blantyre City Council win as “tremendous improvement” from poor performance in 2014 assessment which saw the institution awarded with the most secretive trophy.
However, Chikungwa noted that this year’s study shows “we still have problem as far as access to information is concerned” as the results shows most institutions are still reluctant to provide information requested by the public and that they rarely post updates on their websites and social media sites.
In his remarks, Chairperson for MISA Malawi, Thom Khanje, noted that although some public institutions are gradually recognising the importance of disclosing public information, it is sad that “most public institutions are not willing to share public information” and that even those that declare themselves most transparent public institutions need to do more.
“The research shows that most public institutions in Malawi remain closed” noted Khanje, but stressed, “We need information to help us make informed decision”
He said this study demonstrates that the country needs Access to Information (ATI) bill, which was adopted by Government and is now under further consultations by the committee of parliament. He said this legislation will ensure that the public easily access to information from public institutions.
However, Khanje said even in absence of ATI legislation, Malawi has a constitutional guarantee for the access to information in section 36 and therefore public institutions that are denying citizens from accessing public information are violating such constitutional rights. He has since appealed to all public institutions to begin to honor such constitutional right by giving out any public information to all regardless whether the person requesting the information is a journalist or any ordinary citizen.
“I would like to appeal to public institution to give out information because it is their right.” emphasised Khanje
While congratulating Blantyre City Council for winning Golden Key Award representing the most open public institution, Khanje has since urged Ministry of Health who are this year’s most secretive institution to open up and start to provide information to people of Malawi.
Meanwhile, BCC Public Relations Manager, Anthony Kasunda who received the Golden Key Award on behalf of the council, said “On behalf of the Mayor and the entire Council we are overwhelmed”
He pledged that the council will continue to engage with people of Blantyre City through various platforms and respond to their request at any time.
“We realise that we have a duty to the public and whatever we do at the council it is for the public and we do not have to be pushed to give them information because it is their information.
So, a deliberate policy was made at a council level that whatever information the public is looking for we have to pro-actively make it available, that is why the council has a well updated website with all contacts of ward councillors, members of parliament and all council officials” he said
He added that the council is available on other social media platforms including twitter and Facebook and they also have a magazine to maximise the information availability to the people of Blantyre city.
The 9 institutions assessed in the study were Blantyre City Council, Blantyre Water Board, Central Medical Stores Trust, Lilongwe Water Board, Department of Road Traffic Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health.
However, the study noted improvements in websites presence especially for institutions that poorly performed in previously assessments as well as presence of media officers in such institutions.
Transparency Assessment which are carried out by national Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Chapters since 2009, evaluates the level of openness of Government and Public institutions. The study seeks to establish whether public institutions pro-actively make public information available and easily accessible via online presence in the form of website and further assesses to what degree of information is available to the public upon request.
MISA Malawi 2016
Transparency Assessment
Institution
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Website/Social Media Presence per 20 marks
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Information Upon Request per 20 marks
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Blantyre City Council
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14
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17
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Blantyre Water Board
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12
|
4
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Lilongwe Water Board
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6
|
12
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Central Medical Stores Trust
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13
|
13
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Department of Road Traffic Directorate
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13
|
13
|
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation &
Water Development
|
8
|
12
|
Ministry of Lands, Housing & Urban
Development
|
10
|
9
|
Ministry of Local Government &
Rural Development
|
5
|
12
|
Ministry of Health
|
6
|
2
|
Description of Assessment
Criteria
Website
0-6: No or very
limited website
7-13: Average website
14-20: Transparent
website
Information Upon Request
0-6: Denied access
or high level of secrecy
7-13: Average level
of openness
14-20: Displayed
openness
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