President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the government considers information disclosure to be fundamental to maintaining public trust and strengthening democratic governance, stressing that transparency should be reflected in practice rather than existing only within regulations.
The remarks came after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) announced that all government ministries have proactively disclosed the information required by law in a manner accessible to the public for the first time since the Right to Information (RTI) Act came into force in the Maldives.
In a post on social media, President Muizzu described the development as a significant milestone, noting that during the 12 years since the RTI Act was enacted, the President’s Office and all government ministries have now proactively published large volumes of information that had never previously been disclosed, without the need for individual information requests.
The President said establishing a transparent system goes beyond simply complying with regulations. He emphasised that the government regards information sharing as a core principle for preserving public trust and reinforcing democratic processes.
The achievement marks an important step forward in ongoing efforts to establish a transparent system, ensure public information is readily accessible and strengthen institutional accountability, according to the President.
In his post, President Muizzu thanked and commended the institutions and staff members whose efforts contributed to reaching the milestone. He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that information remains easily accessible to the public through digital systems, with the broader objective of increasing public participation in government decision-making.
Under Section 37 of the Right to Information Act, state institutions are legally required to proactively disclose 13 categories of information.
The law further stipulates that information should be disclosed in the public interest and not be limited strictly to those categories. Such disclosures must be made at least once a year, or more frequently if determined necessary by the respective institution.
Section 37 also requires all state institutions to publish information on their own initiative and ensure it is made available in a manner that is easily accessible to the general public.