A law must be taken on the access to information
21.05.2000
It is necessary to adopt a special law on the access to information. This law must regulate the procedure of giving access to information for any citizen of Ukraine, thus guaranteeing his Constitutional right to free access to information. This was said by Nikolay Tomenko, the director of the Institute of Politics, at the presentation of two publications of this institute: ‘ABC of Ukrainian politics’ and ‘Prime-Ministers of Ukraine’. This law, Mr. Tomenko said, must enact the responsibility for concealing the information by people who possess it.
According to Mr. Tomenko, anyone in Ukraine has insurmountable difficulties in obtaining information. Information has become a capital, and it provides unique opportunity for state officials to earn money, selling this information.
PL commentary:The Ukrainian law ‘On information’ contains all the necessary norms, regulating the access to information; upon the whole, it can be regarded as adequate. The main problem is not in the absence of the law, but that it is not fulfilled. Besides, it is whittled by numerous secondary acts.
According to Mr. Tomenko, anyone in Ukraine has insurmountable difficulties in obtaining information. Information has become a capital, and it provides unique opportunity for state officials to earn money, selling this information.
PL commentary:The Ukrainian law ‘On information’ contains all the necessary norms, regulating the access to information; upon the whole, it can be regarded as adequate. The main problem is not in the absence of the law, but that it is not fulfilled. Besides, it is whittled by numerous secondary acts.