Commissioner to the information of the public importance submitted the report about the enforcement of the law about the free access to the information of the public importance in the year 2007, to the National Parliament of the Republic of Serbia.
Information from the report are showing that the right on the free access to the information is been used much more often. Reports of the state authorities, submitted to Commissioner, are showing that the number of the requests for the information, directed to the state authorities in all levels, is 50% higher than the previous year, and about 4,5 higher than the year 2005. The biggest interest this year also is for the information, which are or could be related to the irrational disposition of the public founds, misuse or corruption (disposition of the budget found, public provisions, privatization, investments, salaries and number of employees and similar)
Information of the relation of the state authorities to the duties, according to the law, delivery of the report to Commissioner, announcing the informer about the work and training of the stuff, are also showing the progress comparing to the previous year.
During the year 2007 the Commissioner service was working on 2367 subjects (1708 received during the year and plus 659 from the previous). 1539 subjects were solved, and 828 were passed in the year 2008. Number of unsolved cases is 30% higher comparing to the previous year, but still, because of the inadequate accommodation, Commissioner service is working with the one third of the employees, and besides the maximal engagement, number of cases should have been transferred to the next year.
On the account of the Report for the year 2007 Commissioner, Rodoljub Šabić, specially emphasized:
„It is good and encouraging that statistics are showing that the degree of the enforcement of the law about the free access to the information of public importance is growing. But, in no relations to that, the fact is that the state authorities in all levels didn't do many things that could and should have been done. Due to that the opportunity to affirm the public right to know is missed, and by that the possibility to have far more effective fight against irrationality, misused, corruption and similar.
Especially it is concerning that even the chronicle, totally evident problems, at which I pointed out even in the reports for the year 2005 and 2006, weren't moved. I think that after three years “pushing under the carpet“, minimum is necessary, without which it is hard to keep what's done so far, that Government, their authorized Ministries and Offices finally activate mechanisms of responsibility for braking the law and for forced render of execution of the decision of Commissioner, as well as to render necessary, above all, space conditions for work of Commissioner and his service.“
Note: text of the report can be taken from the column "Reports"
