prijava
SARAJEVO, September 27 (FENA) – Public companies are not transparent enough when asked for information of public importance.
This was concluded by Transparency International based on a survey conducted in June this year on the availability of information in 159 public companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Of these, 66 are companies from FBiH, 87 are from the Republika Srpska, three are state-level and three are from Brčko District of BiH.
More than half of surveyed companies did not follow the procedures.
One of the most common causes of lack of transparency is misinterpretation of procedures and the Law on Freedom of Access to Information in BiH, Transparency International concluded.
As the most common reasons for not providing the requested information, public authorities have stated volume of documentation or inability to provide it within legal deadline. Some responded in the form of notifications rather than requested information, copies of decisions, etc.
Transparency International presented the results of this research today at a conference on "Access to information of public importance between practice and law" held on September 28, on the occasion of the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI).
Vedrana Faladžić, senior associate at the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina, states that survey at regional level places BiH among the countries with the lowest degree of transparency when it comes to freedom of access to public information.
In particular, the Public Administration Reform Coordinator’s Office extends the transparency of information of public importance and the Council of Ministers of BiH has made it compulsory for all institutions within its jurisdiction to implement proactive transparency standards.
Transparency International, referring to its June survey, also concluded that citizens and other entities should be fully aware of the work of public authorities. They should be empowered and encouraged to participate actively in decision-making, an important aspect of democracy development.
However, research shows that the level of transparency remains unsatisfactory and therefore legal certainty in the process of obtaining public information, even though the laws were adopted 18 years ago.
(FENA) A. B.
