COMMENTS BY THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION NETWORK ON THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION, 2020, PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 23 APRIL 2021

The Access to Information Network (ATI Network), a coalition of South African civil society and media organisations, submitted comments on the proposed Regulations relating to the Promotion of Access to Information, 2020. The network argues that proposed reproduction fees for documents are exorbitantly high and create barriers to the constitutional right of access to information, particularly for those without electronic means. The submission proposes lower per-page fees, the elimination of costs for electronic transfers, and various administrative adjustments to the regulations and request forms.

• The ATI Network contends that the proposed fees for printed and photocopied documents in Annexure B are too high and exceed the rates of commercial stores, which may act as a barrier to accessing information for people without the means to receive data electronically.
• To reduce barriers to information, the ATI Network proposes reducing the cost of photocopying and printing to between R1.00 and R1.50 per A4-page, or implementing a sliding scale where costs drop to R0.50 for records exceeding 100 pages.
• The network recommends that the cost for transferring electronic files via email or services like WeTransfer be set at R0.00 to prevent Information Officers from charging printing or photocopying fees for electronic transmissions.
• The ATI Network suggests that the requirement for private bodies to update descriptions of records every month under Regulation 5(2) is too onerous and may discourage voluntary disclosure; they propose changing this to a quarterly or annual requirement.
• Regarding the investigation of complaints under Regulation 11(5)(b), the network proposes a maximum timeframe of 7 working days for the Information Regulator to notify parties of investigation results to ensure certainty and prevent undue delay in seeking further relief.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). COMMENTS BY THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION NETWORK ON THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION, 2020, PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 23 APRIL 2021. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Comments-on-Proposed-Draft-PAIA-Regulations-ATI-Network-17-May-2021.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. COMMENTS BY THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION NETWORK ON THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION, 2020, PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 23 APRIL 2021. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Comments-on-Proposed-Draft-PAIA-Regulations-ATI-Network-17-May-2021.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=COMMENTS BY THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION NETWORK ON THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION, 2020, PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 23 APRIL 2021 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Comments-on-Proposed-Draft-PAIA-Regulations-ATI-Network-17-May-2021.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centreforenvironmentalrightsndcomments, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{COMMENTS BY THE ACCESS TO INFORMATION NETWORK ON THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE PROMOTION OF ACCESS TO INFORMATION, 2020, PUBLISHED FOR COMMENT ON 23 APRIL 2021}}, publisher = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Comments-on-Proposed-Draft-PAIA-Regulations-ATI-Network-17-May-2021.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }