RTI Commission fines 254 public institutions over failure to submit annual reports

The Right to Information Commission has sanctioned 254 public institutions for failing to account for their 2025 RTI activities as required by law.

Each defaulting institution has been fined GH¢20,000.

The affected institutions include major state agencies, security institutions, teaching hospitals, public universities, technical universities and several Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

Among those cited are the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force, Bureau of National Intelligence and the Office of the Special Prosecutor.

All five teaching hospitals were also listed.

They are Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and Ho Teaching Hospital.

The Commission also sanctioned several public universities, including the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Cape Coast, University for Development Studies, University of Energy and Natural Resources, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, University of Mines and Technology and the University of Professional Studies, Accra.

All five technical universities were also cited for non-compliance.

The RTI Commission said the institutions failed to submit their 2025 annual reports, contrary to Section 77(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2019, Act 989.

Under the Act, public institutions are required to submit written reports on their RTI activities within 60 days after December 31 each year.

The reports are expected to show the number of information requests received, those granted or refused, and the reasons for any refusals.

The Commission said the information is necessary for preparing its consolidated annual report to Parliament.

It said the defaulting institutions failed to comply despite public reminders published in the Ghanaian Times on January 20, 2026, and in the Daily Graphic on April 24, 2026.

“The Commission emphasises that compliance with Act 989 is not discretionary. Failure to adhere to statutory timelines, disclosure duties, or enforcement directives constitutes a violation of law and attracts regulatory consequences,” it stated.

The affected institutions have been given 14 days from receipt of the formal notice to pay the GH¢20,000 penalty.

The Commission warned that failure to pay within the stipulated period will attract further enforcement action.

The latest penalties follow earlier sanctions imposed by the Commission on institutions for RTI-related breaches.

Those previous cases included penalties against the Ghana Education Service, WBM Zion Senior High School, the National Pensions Regulatory Authority and the Economic and Organised Crime Office.

The Commission said it remains committed to enforcing the Right to Information Act and ensuring that public institutions comply with their transparency and accountability obligations.