FAFEN report reveals that public bodies proactively disclose 48% of information required by law
Logo of the Free and Fair Electoral Network (FAFEN). PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Public bodies in Balochistan proactively disclose on average 48% 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 information campaign against disinformation, which highlights the importance of proactive disclosures by public authorities to strengthen institutional transparency and combat disinformation.
The assessment examined 66 public bodies in the province, including 39 secretarial departments, 12 attached departments and 15 autonomous bodies, against the proactive disclosure requirements prescribed under Section 5 of the BRTI Act.
The law requires the proactive disclosure of nine categories of information about a public body. It also emphasizes the publication of up-to-date information in accessible formats, particularly on the Internet.
Overall, autonomous bodies performed relatively better, disclosing on average 59 percent of the required information, followed by attached departments at 46 percent, while secretariat departments lagged behind at 44 percent.
Among the Secretariat’s departments, the departments of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Information, Planning and Development, and Urban Planning and Development were found to be the most transparent, each disclosing 70 percent of the required information.
Among the attached departments, the Gwadar Development Authority (GDA) and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) lead with a compliance rate of 60 percent.
Among the autonomous bodies, Balochistan Education and Endowment Fund and Turbat University have disclosed 80 percent of the required information.
Despite these high-performing public bodies, the assessment found numerous compliance gaps.
Many public agencies have only disclosed 40 to 50 percent of the required information, while several public agencies have fallen even further behind, disclosing only 10 to 30 percent of the information.
Basic organizational information, such as functions, duties and institutional structure, was the most widely available information in nine categories, disclosed by 98% of public agencies.
Legal frameworks governing the operations of public bodies were available on 80 percent of the websites assessed, while 73 percent disclosed information on public services and conditions of service delivery.
About 21 percent of public agencies have published budget-related information, including proposed or actual spending.
Information on subsidy or benefit programs was disclosed by 15 percent of public bodies, while 2 percent of public bodies provided details on beneficiaries of concessions, permits, licenses or authorizations.
