WILLEMSTAD – More than two months after Fundashon Kòrsou Transparente (FKT) requested information about how Curaçao’s access to information law is functioning in practice, the organization says it has still not received a response from the government.
FKT submitted its request on July 23, seeking figures on the implementation of the Landsverordening openbaarheid van bestuur (LOB), Curaçao’s ordinance governing public access to government information.
The foundation wants to know how many LOB requests are submitted to government agencies each year, how many are approved or rejected and how many are processed within the legally prescribed period.
It also requested information about objections and court proceedings arising from LOB requests, as well as problems government agencies encounter when processing applications for information.
After receiving no response, FKT sent a reminder on August 24. According to the organization, that communication also went unanswered.
The delay is particularly relevant because the LOB itself establishes deadlines for responding to information requests. A government body must generally decide on a request within three weeks. That period can be extended once by a maximum of three additional weeks, but the applicant must be notified in writing, with reasons for the extension, before the original deadline expires.
The law also requires the Minister of General Affairs to report to the Curaçao Parliament before July 1 each year on how the LOB was applied during the preceding year.
FKT’s unanswered request means there is currently no publicly available overview, based on the information sought by the foundation, showing how frequently Curaçao residents use the LOB or how consistently government institutions comply with its requirements.
The issue comes as UNESCO is drawing international attention to the gap that can exist between having access-to-information legislation on paper and actually providing information to citizens.
For FKT, the unanswered request raises precisely that question in Curaçao: whether the right established by law is also functioning effectively in practice.