The Right to Information Act should not include the right to obtain information on business activities of the private sector and if this Acts enables one the right to do so, then it could create a dangerous situation, points out Learn Asia Foundation’s Chairman Professor Rohan Samarajeewa. 

Hence, the private sector business community should be cautious of the Right to Information Act currently being drafted, said Professor Samarajeewa.

While pointing out that the initial draft prepared in 2003 did not include anything on the right to information from the private sector there are now proposals to include this as well, the Professor said that through such Acts other countries in the world enable only the right to information from the state sector.

Since the state provides monopolized and non-competitive services through public funds, the main objective of such Acts is to create transparency, said Prof. Samarajeewa.

“Businessmen should look at this cautiously. The right to information world-wide is only to control government activities,” added Prof. Samarajeewa.

A discussion to obtain the opinions from those in the mass media and civil organizations on the Right to Information Act currently being drafted by the government was held recently at the Media Ministry under Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media and Parliamentary Affairs Karunaratne Paranavithana.

The ministry secretary said the proposals at this meeting would be forwarded to the working committee tasked with drafting this legislation.