WHITEMAN. 56 applications were received in the first 24 days of the Act

JAMAICA'S landmark Access to Information Act has been getting plenty of use since it went into effect January 5, according to the information minister, Burchell Whiteman.

"Commendably, media houses are among the earliest applicants for official documents," said Whiteman, noting 56 applications were received in the first 24 days of the act.

Whiteman, however, said nearly 20 per cent of the applications requested information of ministries and agencies that have yet to be incorporated into the act. They are not yet legally obligated to meet information requests, he said.

Requests made to ministries covered under the act, however, are being processed, Whiteman said.

The ministries and agencies now required to release documents to the public, under the first phase of the act, are:

. Office of the Prime Minister;
. Office of the Cabinet;
. Ministry of Finance and Planning;
. Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Sport;
. Jamaica Information Service;
. National Works Agency; and
. Planning Institute of Jamaica

Whiteman spoke at a seminar titled, "Freedom of Information and You," sponsored by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Jamaica Information Service.

The seminar was held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

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