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If an applicant is not completely satisfied with the way his/her Freedom of Information request was handled, s/he can complain to the public authority through its internal complaints procedure, and a reply to the complaint is provided within ten (10) working days. One should submit his/her complaint to the public authority not later than thirty (30) working days from the last communication of the public authority or the act or omission giving rise to the complaint, whichever is the later date.

Complaints can be submitted when:

1. The applicant does not receive any notification from the public authority;
2. the public authority has extended the 20 day working timeframe;
3. the applicant’s request is refused;
4. the format of the document that was provided is different to the applicant’s original request (this includes the provision of a document that has deleted matter, or the provision of a different document than that requested); or
5. the applicant considers the fees charged as excessive.

The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act (Cap. 496) establishes the right to the general public to information held by public authorities in order to promote added transparency and accountability in government.

The general public may request documents held by Public Authorities. The Public Authority shall decide on your request within 20 working days. The FOI Act empowers you to escalate your request to the Information and Data Protection Commissioner, if you are not satisfied with the way the Public Authority handled your request.

Every Public Authority has appointed an FOI Officer who shall handle requests for documents submitted by the public and represent the Public Authority on all matters related to the FOI Act.

A user from the general public can use this complaint form to submit relevant information on any accessibility issues encountered on public sector entity websites.