| Tanzania: Integrity Scorecard Report > Sub-Category: Public Access to Information | ||
| Indicators | Score | |
| 12 | Do citizens have a legal right of access to information? | 0 |
| 13 | Is the right of access to information effective? | 20 |
Indicator and sub-Indicator Details
| 12 | Do citizens have a legal right of access to information? | |||||||
| 12a: In law, citizens have a right of access to government information and basic government records. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: There is no law guaranteeing access to information.
Peer Review Comments: Currently there is no law, but the government has drafted a Right to Information bill that would finally and hopefully be enacted to provide a legal mechanism for those seeking information.
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| 12b: In law, citizens have a right of appeal if access to a basic government record is denied. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: There is no legal provisioning for appeal in cases of denied or ignored requests for information.
Peer Review Comments: They do not have a platform to appeal for not being able to access information, especially from government sources.
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| 12c: In law, there is an established institutional mechanism through which citizens can request government records. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Not existing
Peer Review Comments: I am not aware of any institutional mechanism through which citizens can request government records.
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| 13 | Is the right of access to information effective? | |||||||
| 13a: In practice, citizens receive responses to access to information requests within a reasonable time period. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Hakielimu, LHRC and REPOA 2005 Access to Information in Tanzania: Still a Challenge [ LINK ]
Peer Review Comments: Access to information is a big problem in this country; government departments are very slow in dealing with requests for information.
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| 13b: In practice, citizens can use the access to information mechanism at a reasonable cost. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Hakielimu, LHRC and REPOA 2005 Access to Information in Tanzania: Still a Challenge [ LINK ]
Peer Review Comments: Citizens do not have unlimited access to information.
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| 13c: In practice, citizens can resolve appeals to access to information requests within a reasonable time period. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Hakielimu, LHRC and REPOA. 2005. "Access to Information in Tanzania: Still a challenge" [ LINK ]
Peer Review Comments: There is no mechanism for accessing information.
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| 13d: In practice, citizens can resolve appeals to information requests at a reasonable cost. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Hakielimu, LHRC and REPOA 2005 Access to Information in Tanzania: Still a Challenge [ LINK ]
Peer Review Comments: Access to information is a big problem.
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| 13e: In practice, the government gives reasons for denying an information request. | ||||||||
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Comments: References: Hakielimu, LHRC and REPOA 2005 Access to Information in Tanzania: Still a Challenge [ LINK ]
Peer Review Comments: The government does not normally explain its reasons for denying an information request. From my experience as a journalist, sometimes, some government officials do not give any information, irrespective of its sensitivity.
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