The first web portal offering free access to information in Bosnia and Herzegovina www.pravodaznam.ba has been launched

A new web portal www.pravodaznam.ba was promoted today in Sarajevo – the first automated portal offering assistance for requesting free access to information. The portal has been developed in association with Transparency International BiH, civil association “Why not” ( Zasto ne), Open Society  Foundation  – Information Program, MySociety  UK and Access Info Spain

This portal will enable BiH citizens to easily send free access to information requests to all public institutions, institutions and companies in BiH, and ask for all the information they seek. The portal “Pravo da znam” contains a database of institutions in BiH with contact information that can be easily extended, and it will also contain a database of all claims issued through the portal and responses of those to whom these requests are addressed.

In addition to citizens, the portal can be used by representatives of civil society organisations, journalists, media representatives and all those interested in acquiring information. The portal has an automated procedure to monitor the status of requests, the status of responses of institutions and tools for research requests, research users and institutions. This will enable institutions to make their response public, i.e. not only for senders but for the rest of the interested public

Boris Brkan from the civil association “Zasto ne” emphasized that “the institutions can benefit from the portal, especially those responsible for responses to requests, as they will use the portal to avoid answering the same questions several times. In a similar way, in the functionalities of the portal there are different mechanisms to protect against the abuse of information, as well as the possibility for users to engage themselves more actively in the administration and operation of the portal.”

Srđan Blagovčanin, the executive director of Transparency International BiH, added that due to many problems in the implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information, the portal will contribute to an easier and faster communication between citizens and institutions and to simplify law implementation.

„However, this portal will have an impact on understanding the concept of free access to information by representatives of institutions and citizens, and increase the level of transparency of institutions and the whole society over time” – said Darko Brkan from the civil association “Zasto ne” (Why not).

CA “Zasto ne’ team

Transparency International Bosnia and Herzegovina