Speaker Karu Jayasuriya signed the Right to Information (RTI) Bill yesterday morning. The RTI Act was ratified in Parliament on 24 June. After the Speaker signed the Bill, it began to function as a law with immediate effect.

The Right to Information Act will empower the public to obtain necessary information from government ministries, deÉrtments, state corporations and statutory bodies, local government institutions, NGOs, private universities, Higher Education Institutes and Judicial bodies.

However, providing sensitive information on national Defence have been restricted under the new Act.