RTI Cases Reported to ICOM Surge by 60% in 2024
Photo credit: MV+
The total number of Right to Information (RTI) cases reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) saw a significant increase of approximately 60% in 2024, with public authorities in the Executive branch experiencing the most notable rise. This information was released by the Information Commissioner’s Office today.
In 2023, 355 cases were filed across various sectors, but this number surged to 566 in 2024. The governing body, which includes institutions within the Executive, experienced the largest spike, with cases rising from 179 (50.42%) in 2023 to 330 (58.03%) in 2024. Councils also saw a marked increase, with cases growing from 57 (16.07%) to 78 (13.78%).
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Other notable trends include a rise in cases from educational service agencies, which jumped from 3 (0.85%) to 42 (7.42%), while the number of cases involving independent institutions and positions decreased from 38 (10.07%) to 30 (5.03%). Meanwhile, the cases involving state-owned companies increased from 46 (12.96%) to 55 (9.72%).
The Parliament of the People and political parties saw minimal increases in cases, with cases in the former rising from 2 (0.56%) to 4 (0.71%) and in the latter from 2 (0.56%) to 3 (0.53%). Meanwhile, other agencies and healthcare providers experienced slight changes, with cases in the former rising from 15 (4.23%) to 7 (1.24%) and in the latter rising from 8 (2.25%) to 12 (2.12%). The field of justice saw a minimal decrease in cases, with cases decreasing from 5 (1.41%) to 5 (0.88%).
The total number of cases registered at the Information Commissioner's Office increased by about 60% in 2024
The most significant increase in the number of cases was noted among public authorities belonging to the Executive branch of government pic.twitter.com/hyiFximXri— Information Commissioner's Office – Maldives (@icom_mv) March 17, 2025
These statistics reflect the growing number of cases being reported across various sectors, with a clear trend showing heightened activity in the executive branch of government.
The “Right to Information Regulation” was formulated under Act No: 1/2014, the Right to Information Act, passed by the People’s Majlis. The purpose of this Act is to ensure the efficient enforcement of its provisions, thereby promoting transparency and accountability in the conduct of State matters.
This Regulation aims to outline the principles and procedures necessary to achieve the objectives of the Act. It specifies the following key aspects:
- To clarify the detailed right to access and obtain information in any State Institute.
- To determine the principles by which the right to information shall not be disclosed in certain circumstances in order to uphold the public interest.
- To encourage the widest publication of information available at State Institute.
- To ensure that information held by any State Institute in relation to a person is complete, accurate and not false.
- To determine reasonable principles required to administer those specified in this section.
