Housing Ministry Responds to Fine for Missed iCOM Hearing

MV+ News Desk | November 23, 2024

The Ministry of Housing, Land and Urban Infrastructure has confirmed that it failed to attend a scheduled hearing with the Information Commissioner’s Office (iCOM) due to a staff member’s negligence. 

The individual involved has since been subject to disciplinary action. In a statement, the Ministry emphasised its commitment to transparency and its prioritisation of responding to Right to Information (RTI) requests within the prescribed timelines.

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The failure to attend the meeting, which led to a fine imposed by iCOM, was attributed to the employee’s oversight. In response, the Ministry confirmed that action has been taken in line with Civil Service regulations. A Ministry spokesperson stated that the Information Officer has been temporarily relieved of their duties and issued a formal caution against repeating such an incident.

The issue stemmed from an RTI request submitted by a member of the public, to which no response had been provided. In accordance with the regulations, iCOM scheduled a meeting with the Ministry on November 7 to address the matter. However, the Ministry failed to attend and did not notify the commission at least one hour in advance, as required by law. As a result, the Ministry was fined MVR 350.

This marks the first time iCOM has imposed such a fine, though it has previously taken legal action against the President’s Office for non-compliance with its rulings.

The ministry stated that it is reviewing its internal policies to ensure future compliance with RTI regulations and to avoid further penalties.

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