• Struggles to function with 50% of approved staff

The Right to Information (RTI) Commission states that it is currently functioning with only 50% of its approved staff strength, which has created serious challenges in carrying out its duties and attending to public requests.

Speaking to The Sunday Morning, RTI Commission Director General K.D.S. Ruwanchandra said that while the commission had approval for 36 positions, only 18 officers were presently in service.

“We do not have enough staff. Our approved cadre is 36, but only 18 are working. That is 50%, so it is a big challenge to carry out the work of the commission. We need enough staff to work.”

He noted that any delays in the commission’s work had been caused by this shortage. “If there has been any delay, it has been due to these issues. We have made requests to the relevant authorities, but we have not received approval yet,” he said. 

Ruwanchandra added that requests had also been made to the committee headed by the Prime Minister’s Secretary, which oversees recruitment to the public service.

The Director General’s comments come in the wake of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ajith P. Perera revealing in Parliament recently that the RTI Commission had failed to attend to 308 information requests between 1 January and 30 September this year. 

He said that the number of pending inquiries now stood at 112, marking an increase compared to the previous year. 

It was also reported that the number of information requests fulfilled by the commission has dropped to 1,157 in 2025, compared to 1,837 in 2024. The total number of fulfilled requests stood at 1,500 in 2023, 1,451 in 2022, 475 in 2021, 527 in 2020, 709 in 2019, 549 in 2018, and 57 in 2017. 

Established under the Right to Information Act No.12 of 2016, the RTI Commission functions as an independent oversight body empowered to conduct inquiries into non-compliance with the act and to recommend disciplinary or legal action against officials where necessary.