THE ministry of local government, community development and sport has established an information unit ahead of the still-pending introduction of the Access to Information Act.

On Saturday, the debate on the Act stalled in the Senate and its original implementation date has now been pushed back indefinitely. However, the local government ministry’s attempts to forge ahead with its unit has been on-stream for months.

“We realised that we would need a physical space to accommodate our visitors and have them appropriately access whatever information they might want on the ministry,” explained Althea Scott, the ministry’s director of documentation, information and access services, who has responsibility for the unit.

She told JIS News that although the passage of the Act has been delayed from its initial deadline of October 1, the ATI unit kept to its launch date and was opened to the media, persons from the ministry and other government agencies for a test run on September 25.

“Prior to setting up this room, persons coming to seek information would be accommodated temporarily in the lobby area and then in the office of the person from whom the information would be given,” Scott explained.

The unit has a section with literature about the functions of the ministry, local government reform, statistical data, other government publications, as well as the information on the various projects being undertaken by both the ministry and its associate agencies.

It is also equipped with two computer terminals from which users can access a comprehensive electronic database, and feature the ministry’s intranet and Internet services. In addition, the unit has a television for visitors to screen video cassettes of a documentary feature on the ministry’s achievements in revamping Riverton City, or view footage of the annual Street Jam, a production in which the ministry plays an integral role.

The unit is open to the public.

“When someone comes in, they can sit at the desk, look at the intranet and see what areas are covered by the ministry; and based on that, they will know what kind of information to ask for,” Scott said.

She pointed out that while members of the public could search for the information they desired, there would be nominal charges for such services as printing or saving information to computer diskettes.

The Access to Information Act is meant to provide members of the public with greater access to information about state agencies. The Act is to be implemented in seven government agencies, including the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Cabinet Office, Planning Institute of Jamaica, Jamaica Information Service, National Works Agency and the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Sport.

According to Scott, the local government ministry was the first to set up an ATI unit and other agencies have until October 2004 to follow suit.