NGO IDFI: Average rate of public information disclosure is 53% in Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, June 17
In 2019, the average rate of proactive disclosure of public information is 53%, which is 18% lower than in 2014.
The information was released by the non-governmental organization Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), which published the results of its monitoring of proactive online disclosure of information by Georgian public institutions in 2019.
The monitoring showed that the most problematic issue for public institutions was publishing information related to state budget usage/expenses, including: received (22.2%) and issued (23%) grants, funding received from budgetary funds 24.4%, property disposal 27.4%, advertising expenses 34.1%, etc.
As a result of the monitoring, the highest (98%) assessment among central public institutions was received by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, followed by (96%) the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The lowest indicator among central public institutions (39%) was received by the Administration of the Government of Georgia.
The Administration has not published any information on procurement and finances since 2014, the report reads.
Besides, low results were also shown by the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture (42%) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (47%).
Approximately 40% of public institutions under the ministries have less than 30% of public information proactively published on their website, said the NGO.
IDFI says that as of May 2019, no public institution had fully complied with the requirement to publish information (100%) on its website proactively.
15 institutions do not have a website at all or do not have a separate public information section on their website, the organization claims.
The monitoring results read that public institutions showed the best results in proactively publishing legal acts and general information, including contact details (91,3%), charter(89,3%), normative acts (85,7%), organizational structure (82,1%).
Online proactive disclosure of public information by the governmental institutions looks as follows:
Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports-96%
Ministry of Internal Affairs 96%
Georgian Parliament 91%
Justice Ministry 89%
Ministry of IDPs from occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs 87%
Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia 86%
Ministry of Defense 84%
Ministry of Finance 75%
Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality 66%
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 47%
Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture 42%
Administration of Government of Georgia 39%
The monitoring covered official websites of 100 public institutions, including the Parliament of Georgia, Administration of the Government of Georgia, 11 Ministries / State Minister's Offices and 86 subordinated LEPLs and sub-agencies.
