Gov’t unveils plan to set up ‘information desks’ to ease access

JUBA – South Sudan government on Tuesday unveiled plans to establish information desks at its various institutions to ease access to information.

Speaking during opening session of a one-day training on access to information in Juba, information minister and government spokesman Michael Makuei Lueth said the information desks will make access to information easier for citizens.

“It gives even the citizens the right to access information in any office and this is why we are talking of establishing information desks in all institutions and ministries so that when a citizen goes there and he wants information, it is the information officer who will know what type of information is there,” Makuei said.

Makuei said the information officers will also keep proper records and documentation for future referents.

“It is important that you keep proper documentation for tomorrow, and it is important that you make proper use of your document and keep them properly,” Makuei said.

“Once we established an information desk, you need to keep information officers at your end with the information so that they are ready to give an answer to any question at any time.”

Makuei believed that South Sudan has the best media laws in Africa but they are not effective.

“One of the outstanding issues that we need to know is that South Sudan laws are the best media laws here in the region but we are not recognized for a reason or another but ours are the best so far here in the region,” he said.

“Maybe we are lacking proper application of this law and this lack of application of these laws is what is causing us all these problems.”

He admitted a lack of access to information and harassment of journalists by security organs.

“There is no access to information, people are being harassed and a lot of things meanwhile all this are addressed in our media, what we are lacking only is the proper implementation of these laws,” he said.

“The access to information does not mean that every information should be accessed by the people in that law.”