The Privatisation and Corporatisation Board (PCB) has directed state-owned enterprises and government entities to ensure that their appointed Information Officers are fully conversant with the Right to Information (RTI) Act, in a move aimed at strengthening transparency and corporate governance.
The directive also applies to subsidiaries and requires companies to designate personnel responsible for handling public and media information requests. The PCB said appointees must possess either relevant legal qualifications or a comprehensive understanding of applicable laws and regulations to ensure information is provided accurately and with due authority.
To maintain institutional continuity, the board instructed companies to establish a general email address for RTI requests, rather than relying on individual staff email accounts. This measure is intended to ensure proper record-keeping and continuity in the event of staff changes. Companies have also been instructed to prominently publish the appointed officer’s name, contact number and designated email address on their official websites to ensure public accessibility.
The PCB clarified that appointing an Information Officer does not require organisational restructuring, as the responsibility should be assigned to an existing employee formally designated by the company’s board of directors.
The board emphasised that compliance with these instructions is mandatory under the Privatisation and Corporatisation Act.