The Right to Information (RTI) Commission has fined 254 public institutions GH¢20,000 each for failing to submit their 2025 Right to Information Annual Reports as required under the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989).
The affected institutions include key Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), among them the Ghana Police Service, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the Rent Control Department, and the Council of State.
According to the Commission, the sanctions were imposed under Section 77(1) of Act 989 after the defaulting institutions failed to comply with the reporting requirement despite several reminders issued through the Ghanaian Times and the Daily Graphic earlier this year.
The Commission said the annual reports are essential for preparing its consolidated report to Parliament on the implementation of the RTI Act, making timely compliance a critical component of transparency, accountability and public access to information.
It noted that the statutory deadline for submitting the consolidated 2025 Annual Report to Parliament has already elapsed, making enforcement action necessary against institutions that failed to meet their legal obligations.
The defaulting institutions have been directed to pay the GH¢20,000 administrative penalty within 14 days of receiving formal notice. The RTI Commission has warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period will trigger further enforcement measures in accordance with the law.
The Commission also reminded heads of all public institutions that compliance with the reporting requirements under the RTI Act is a statutory obligation and reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability and access to information across Ghana’s public sector.
