Now It’s Possible to Request Public Information Electronically

Nata Dzvelishvili, www.media.ge 

The decree of PM Bidzina Ivanishvili, which makes it possible to request public information in electronic form, came into force on September 1, 2013. So far the interested persons could only request such information in written form.

According to the decree, an administrative body is liable to secure the possibility of requesting public information in electronic form, as well as its registration and the availability of a system of automatic confirmation.

The norms of the General Administrative Code of Georgia, which so far regulated the reception of information in written form, are also extended upon the electronic issuance of information.

According to the same decree, administrative bodies are liable to proactively publish the list of preliminary defined information encompassing a number of issues, including general information regarding public institutions, information regarding the staffing procedure, realized governmental purchases and privatization of governmental property, financing and estimate of public organization, and regarding legal protocols.

The given list has been prepared with the involvement of NGOs. Despite the fact that proactively published information must be equally available to everyone, yet an administrative body isn’t relieved of the liability to present information in written form. The information must be updated, with the specification of the date.

The decree is extended upon the following administrative bodies- the State Chancellery, all the Ministries, Apparatus of the State Minister, government amenable agency, legal person of public law amenable to the control of the State Minister of Georgia and functioning in the sphere of the governance of the Ministry of Georgia.

The aforementioned initiatives has been developed with the coordination of Institute for Development of Freedom of Information(IDFI), NGOs, and the Analytical Department of the Ministry of Justice. The NGOs applied to the government with the recommendation to adopt these amendments several months ago. After the public discussion, the Civil Society prepared the final package within the framework of the USAID’s G3 funded coalition project “ Improvement of Legislation and Enhancement of Public Awareness Regarding the Issue of Information Freedom”.