By JAMES KUNDA –

THE Access to Information Bill (ATI) has been submitted to the Attorney General for approval before it is tabled in Parliament for consideration and enactment into Law.
This follows the completion of procedural work by technocrats engaged to draft the policy by the Government under the auspices of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services.
Information and Broadcasting Services Permanent Secretary Chanda Kasolo said in an interview yesterday that once the Attorney General gave a seal of approval, the Bill would be tabled before Parliament for consideration and enactment into Law.
“Technocrats engaged to work on the Bill have completed their work and the document has since been submitted to the Attorney General for clearance before it can be tabled before Parliament,” he said.
Mr Kasolo assured that once the Attorney General gave consent, the Bill would be taken to Parliament for the due process of enacting it into Law.
“Immediately the Attorney General reports back to us (the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services), we will simply move ahead and take the Bill to Parliament with the hope that it is enacted into Law,” he said.
The ATI Bill was first tabled before Parliament in 2002 but was not enacted into Law as then Republican President, the late Levy Mwanawasa, did not assent to the policy after the Legislature approved of its provisions.
Media bodies have since then been calling for the enactment of the Law which among others; gives journalists the right to gather and disseminate information without interference from those outside the journalism profession.
The Bill also sets out the scope of public information under the control of public authorities to be made available to the people in order to facilitate more effective participation in the good governance of Zambia.
The Law will also promote transparency and accountability of public officers as their deeds in office will be public knowledge. The ATI was formerly called Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill.