Freedom of Information
[No. of 2002 15
PART IV
GENERAL OBLIGATION OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES TO PUBLISH INFORMATION
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20. (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act, every public
authority shall cause to be published, as soon as practicable after the
commencement of this Act but not later than twelve months after that
commencement, by Gazette notice and in a newspaper of general
circulation in Zambia, a publication that includes —
(a) a description of its structure, functions, and responsibilities
including those of any of its statutory officers or advisory
committees;
(b) a general description of the categories of documents held by
it;
(c) a description of all manuals, and similar types of documents
which contain policies, principles, rules, or guidelines in
accordance with which decisions or recommendations are
made in respect of any person or body of persons in that
person’s or their personal capacity; and
(d) a statement of any information that needs to be made available
to members of the public who wish to obtain official
information from the public authority which statement shall
include particulars of the officer or officers to whom
requests for official information or particular classes of
information should be sent.
(2) In complying with subsection (1) the public authority shall
have regard, among other things, to the need to assist members of the
public to obtain official information and to effectively exercise their
rights under this Act.
(3) Where there is good reason under section fourteen of this Act
for withholding official information, nothing in this section requires
the publication of that official information.
(4) The Commission may, from time to time, give directions to
public authorities regarding the form in which the information referred
to in subsection (1) shall be published and prescribe model publication
schemes in relation to public authorities falling within particular classes.
(5) The failure of a public authority to publish information under
subsection (1) shall not prejudicially affect the right of access to
information under the control of a public authority as provided for in
or under this Act.
Public
authorities to
publish
certain
information
N.A.B 14, 2002