Resistance by some public institutions to disclose information, weak enforcement mechanisms, and the absence of a Legislative Instrument (LI) are undermining the effective implementation of Ghana's Right to Information (RTI) Act, according to a new report by Transparency International Ghana.

The anti-corruption organisation says these challenges continue to limit citizens' ability to access public information, despite the RTI Act having been in force for several years.

The report notes that although the legislation has improved access to information in some areas, compliance across public institutions remains inconsistent, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.

Executive Director of Transparency International Ghana, Mary Addah, acknowledged the progress made since the Act came into force but said critical implementation gaps persist.

"While progress has been made, significant gaps remain in ensuring compliance across public institutions," she said.

According to the report, one of the biggest obstacles to the effective implementation of the law is the continued reluctance of some public institutions to release information requested under the Act.

It also cites weak enforcement mechanisms and the absence of a Legislative Instrument to operationalise the law as major factors hampering its implementation.

The findings have renewed calls for stronger measures to ensure that public institutions comply fully with the RTI Act, which was enacted to guarantee citizens' constitutional right to access information held by public bodies.

Commenting on the report, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Joseph Whittal, proposed the development of a post-implementation strategy to strengthen enforcement of the law.

He said such a strategy would help address existing implementation challenges while improving compliance among institutions covered by the Act.

Mr Whittal also appealed to the public to exercise patience, explaining that institutions responsible for implementing the RTI Act are still building the operational capacity required to process and respond to information requests effectively.

The report is expected to reignite discussions on strengthening Ghana's transparency and accountability framework by addressing the legal and institutional bottlenecks hindering the full implementation of the Right to Information Act.