President's Office ordered to formulate plan to strengthen responsiveness to information requests
16 އޯގަސްޓު 2026 | އާދީއްތަ 09:47The Information Commissioner has ordered the President's Office to submit a comprehensive plan to strengthen its Right to Information (RTI) processes following repeated failures to respond to information requests within the legally mandated timeframe. This directive was issued after an investigation into significant delays regarding an RTI request for details on the President’s official visit to the United Kingdom. Consequently, the President's Office has been instructed to consult with relevant stakeholders and reform its internal mechanisms to ensure the timely provision of information.
A photograph taken from outside the President's Office.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM) has instructed the President’s Office to develop and share an "implementation plan" aimed at strengthening the mechanism for responding to Right to Information (RTI) requests within the legally mandated timeframe.
The Information Commissioner’s Office issued this directive following a review of a Right to Information (RTI) request submitted by RaajjeTV. The request sought clarification on whether President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s recent trip to the United Kingdom was conducted at the invitation of the British government or if it was a private visit.
In response to the proposal, the President's Office later clarified that the President's visit to the country from July 15 to 19, 2025, was an official state visit.
Regarding the background of the case, following an information request submitted on July 19, 2025, notification of a 14-day extension was only provided on August 13, 2025. However, after the President's Office failed to respond within that timeframe, a formal complaint was lodged with the Information Commissioner on January 24, 2026, prompting the office to finally release the requested information on that same day.
In his ruling, the Information Commissioner noted that the requested information was subsequently provided.
However, the failure to respond within the legally mandated timeframe is considered a refusal to disclose information. It was further noted that the President's Office has repeatedly failed to provide responses by the expiration of these deadlines.
Consequently, the President's Office has been instructed to consult with relevant stakeholders and formulate a plan to strengthen mechanisms for providing information within the legally mandated timeframe, and to share this plan with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICOM).
