The Parliamentary Committee of Supply has approved a budget allocation of $40 million for the Office of the Commissioner of Information, with over 75% of this amount designated for the salary of Commissioner Charles Ramson Snr, a retired Court of Appeal Judge.
During the deliberation of the 2026 budget estimates, Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul raised concerns regarding the spending. He noted that over the past five years, the office has received more than $90 million, yet there is scant evidence to demonstrate the efficacy of its operations. Mahipaul emphasized that the Commissioner has failed to submit any reports or respond to information requests, suggesting that the budget for the office be significantly reduced.
“Here we are requesting an additional $40 million. In view of the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs’ prior statement and the Commissioner’s failure to provide satisfactory reports for over ten years, I ask whether the Honourable Minister and her side would support reducing the allocation for the Office of the Commissioner to $1,” Mahipaul inquired.
Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira opposed the proposed cut, stating, “I would hate to cut anybody’s budget, and therefore I would not support reducing the Commissioner of Information’s budget to $1. However, it is important to note that the Commission operates under the Access to Information Act, which outlines his duties and the parameters within which people can request information.”
Teixeira referenced the media coverage on the subject but stressed that if information is already publicly available, the role of the Commissioner diminishes.
Last year, civil society members and some media representatives protested the office, accusing it of failing to respond to critical information requests. Despite this, Minister Teixeira maintained that the Commissioner receives an average of six requests per month, all of which have been honored.
In response to a query from APNU Parliamentary leader Dr. Terrence Campbell about the budget breakdown, Teixeira confirmed that the majority of the $40 million would go toward the Commissioner’s salary, including his vacation allowance, gratuity, chauffeur allowance, and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions. She detailed that the total for these items amounts to $33.5 million, while the remaining $6.4 million covers administrative costs related to the secretariat, which currently employs one staff member.
Charles Ramson Snr. was reappointed as the Commissioner of Information by the current government.
