The period during which public information should be provided at request will be decreased from 15 workdays at present to 15 calendars days (10 workdays). At the same time, the applicants for information will no longer be obliged to put the electronic or holographic signature on the application. The public institutions that will refuse to provide information of public interest within the set time limits will be liable to administrative punishment, as a law on access to information of public interest that was adopted by Parliament on Thursday provides, IPN reports.

Under the bill, if the requested information is available, it should be provided immediately, but not later than 15 calendar days. The period can be extended by at most ten calendar days is the request for information is complex or if a large volume of information is requested and extra time is needed to process this.

Minister of Justice Veronica Mihailov-Moraru said in Parliament that the bill extends the list of subjects that are considered information providers by adding the state-run and municipal enterprises, private law legal entities controlled by the public authorities, energy enterprises, etc.

“Pro-active transparency is to be ensured as a primary method of communicating information of public interest and the catalogue of information that is to be published by the public authorities will be detailed. This means that any official website of any public entity must contain particular information that would be accessible to any interested person, without a request for information being necessary,” stated Veronica Mihailov-Moraru.

The minister also said that the bill introduces a mechanism for holding accountable the institutions if they refuse to provide information or provide mistaken, incomplete information or make an unjustified referral.

The bill is to be given a final reading.