Information and documents conundrum

I thought I would share this query from Brutus and response at Barbados Free Press.
Brutus wrote : Hallam, you make some interesting points but can you clarify what you mean by “information in the broader sense”? What information are you contemplating that is not covered by the term “documents”. Can you give examples?
My response:
The intention of the bill, as stated at page 3 Section (a), speaks to giving citizens the right and freedom to receive idea and information. Not all information is held in public documents. In fact, I am suggesting that there is a lot of information held by companies which affects the citizen and which the citizen should have access to. As a communications analyst I want information that can be used to (a) argue a case for a better deal for citizens and (b) recommend after additional analysis policies that government should consider to provide citizens with improved education, business opportunities, jobs, access to telecommunicatons etc.Information, as defined as information contained in public documents, is therefore limited and incomplete as far as the interests of citizens are concerned.Further, while the section on page 3 speaks of "information" nowhere in the same section are the words "documents" and "reports" mentioned. However, replete in other sections of the draft bill are references to "documents" but not "information". So I also see something of a conundrum in the intentions of the bill and what it actually would seek to legislate.There are many other aspects of the bill which appear either unclear, inadequate or potentially at conflict with other legisation, such as the confidentiality legislation which comes under the Telecommunications Act and the Utilities Regulation Act of the Fair Trading Commission. For example, if an item of information that cannot possibly be considered "confidential" is contained in a document which Cable & Wireless provides to the Fair Trading Commission with an understanding of non-disclosure and Brutus wanted to access that information which legislation would take precedence?My basic point though was that my preference would have been for access to information, not just public documents. Do we always have to import legislation as defined by other countries and intended for the citizens of those countries? A lot of the information of interest to me is financial or numbers such as how any people do not have telephone service, how many people in rural Barbados compared with urban Barbados have telephones, where exactly are there pockets of poverty and how is this defined, company information that is ill-defined whch might be useful to potential stock purchasers, data that shows the earnings of various unregulated telecommunication services which would more than likely put a lie to the view that domestic telephone service is propped up by international earnings, cost studies held by the Fair Trading Commission etc, etc.
Hallam
caritel@hallamhope.com
(246) 424-0894

Consumers of Barbados..the time to act is now

THIS WAS POSTED ON THE BDOS UNDERGROUND BLOG IN ANSWER TO THE CRY FOR A CONSUMER ORGANIZATION IN BARBADOS

You know guys, we at Bdos Consumer Watch are very intrigued by these discussions.
We are hoping, that . judging from what is happening, it appears that its only within the last two weeks or so that some Bajans are aware that ” a consumer organization is required”.
Our question to everyone who sees the consumer as the one with the power is ” Why are we not exercising that power”. There have been several attemptes at “consumer organizations” in Barbados and for what ever reason, they never seem to become vibrant. This is the main reason why we at BCW decided to try something different and see how much success we would have.
Until everyone, including the moderators and callers to Brass Tacts get up off their butts and put their hands up and either join or form that said consumer organisation, this type of discussion will go on ad infinitum.
We at BCW are ready……We await the readiness of the consumers of Barbados.

Freedom of information or access to records?

Dear Doug, colleagues,

I spent part of yesterday reading through the draft Freedom of Information bill (I hope you folk are reading it and will be attending the Town Hall meetings).

My position right now is that rather than follow the FOIA of the U.S and the Freedon of Information and Privacy Act of Canada, which the drafter of this bill seems to have done, as a progressive country we should be crafting a bill with radical changes to include :

Access to :
1. Access to information held by private companies that relates to the interests of consumers.
2. Access to information, via permanent secretaries and directors of state and statutory departments that is relevant to consumers.

Rather than continue the practice of importing foreign practices or turning to them as "best practices" we should look at other developing countries that have told these countries and their international agencies that their approaches are not relevant to the needs of our societies.

This is an opportunty Doug, for your organisation to stand up and shine.

The Freedom of Information Bill should not only relate to records because essentially it is an "Access to Public Records and Documents bill" but to "Information".

Clearly the former administration or their civil service person (s) took the old approach of rather than finding out the "needs" of people, they went to what obtains in foreign countries.

So we now have a document which the typical bureaucratic approach would lean towards tweaking rather than changing radically, which, in my opinion, is what is required. At this year's economics conference at the Central Bank of Barbados the point was authoritatively made that one of the reasons there is limited trading in the stock exchange is the limited information made available to potential investors. It's not just the balance sheet, it is the unknown details which apparently, are not shared with the public.

Hallam Hope
caritel@hallamhope.com
438-3211/424-0894/822-1414

Freedom of Information - Town Hall (1)

Hello Folks,
Well the first Town Hall meeting (at Cawmere, oops Combermere), came off on October 15th as scheduled on the Freedom of Information Bill.
It started with 10 members in the audience and another 10, incluidng some party followers, tured up later.
Four people spoke : Besley Maycock, a retired envoy, Carl Moore, a former Nation newspaper editor, Ian Bourne (former CBC anchor) and this blogger.
Well what we have is legislation taken straight from North America, where information means records/documents and really, not information.
Let me explain. Information for me is not only found in some report or document, but in the crania of civil servants. I suspect there is far more there of relevance than in documents.
So rather than access to information, as in access to senior civil servants who have information relevant to the public, what we have is North America-patterned Freedom of Information legislation.
Well, we managed to get the chairman, Mr. Orlando Marville, to state that the inappropriate deadlines were "not cast in stone". In fact there is a deadlne for submission of views etc. that precedes the end of the Town Hall meetings. This does not make any sense.
I raised the question of a possible conflict between the FOIA and existing confidentiality legislation. In other words, if I go to the Fair Trading Commission and they tell me a certain document is confidential, will the FOIA legislation "take precedence" over the legislation governing the Fair Trading Commission, on the grounds that I am entitled to the information.
Or would it be the other way, thereby rendering the FOIA still-born, or useless in this regard.
Should Barbadians not have a bill that is broader in scope and depth than the North American legislation. Should our national strings not say "we want something that os relevant to our needs"?
The message though as we always say on this blog is get the facts, get the information and let's get off our buns and make a contribution.
Hallam Hope
caritel@hallamhope.com/438-3211

Freedom of Information

So we have a chance to help craft the legislation which should help us as Bajan consumers have access to more information from government and statutory corporations.
Starting at 7 p.m every evening Town Hall meetings on the Freedom of Information Bill at Combermere, October 15th (today); Alexandra School, October 22nd, Deighton Griffith School, October 29th and November 5th at Princess Margaret School are scheduled.
Citizens also have an opportunity to read the draft legislation and comment in written form.
Comments and other submissions should be emailed to freedomofinfobill@barbados.gov.bb
It should be noted that the ads. I have seen do not say where written submissions may be sent or that there is a deadline of October 31st, two days before the Deighton Griffith School public meeting and five days after the last Town Hall meeting.
There must be some logic or illogic about setting a deadline for submissions before the Town hall meeting process has been completed. (lol)

Questions?
To what extent will this legislation streamline access to information given that the citizen is expecting the wheels of Government to turn, in the event of an appeal against a government entity that refuses to provide information on request? Some information has a short shelf life depending on the urgency of the need. So approval of information when it is no longer needed does not contribute to improved transparency.

At what level will officers of government and statutory corporations have the authority to provide information in an expeditious manner.

Despite the fact that the Fair Trading Commission does not require a FOIA to provide basic information to the public will the new laws guarantee that this organisation starts to understand its role to be transparent and provide citizens with information they need to make comments of substance based on hard facts. Who will bell the cat for complaints against the FTC, the Ombudsman?

The point posed is that we have a considerable "culture change" challenge when it comes to accessing information in a timely fashion.
Will new rules and regulations change this?

Hallam Hope
caritel@hallamhope.com
(246) 438-3211

Victory for the Consumer

Well guys..


After contacting the cell phone provider service centre, and explaining the situation re the wrong money being credited to cell phone 254-8630 I was pleasantly surprised about the result.

The representative from Cable and Wireless was very sympathetic but firm. She explained that the policy of the firm was that they generally speaking did not transfer "error credit" unless it was done by the vendor . she explained the many difficulties that they have had with this type of transaction, but after I explained the special circumstances she said she would refer it to her supervisor.

she did so and moments ago, the moneis was credited to my phone.

good job ..Cable and Wireless
And consumers..if you don't stand up for yourself..no one else has to.

Thanks to all those who gave me advise and lets mark this one down to a victory for consumers.

Interest rates and bank charges

Quite recently Bank of Nova Scotia sent me a booklet of their new charges. Congrats to them. Well, my Gold Card fee is up by 15 dollars. Time pemitting I will try and get a copy of the previous charges and do some comparisons.
For example, it would be useful to consumers to know which fees have gone up and by how much.
Anyone want to contribute in this area? Post to this blog and/or email me at : caritel@hallamhope.com.
It's the foundation for a programme on my consumer site : www.ustream.tv/caritel.
The other observation is that interest rates are going down.
This is good and bad, since it should mean lower lending rates which people who wish to refurbish their homes or maybe add that extra apartment to increase their income could benefit from.
I am not an economist, but the move could also lead to more spending on needless consumer items, which is good for the banks but I personally think bad for the economy. This at a time when he need to guard against having mauby pockets and champaine tastes - and spending habits.
The other concern is that lower interest rates means lower returns and less incentive for the folk who have a few pennies to put in an investment income. I.e lower rates equal lower income.
So where do we go? Yes, invest, but the cost of investment as a result of the soaring increases in the cost of living limit what we can invest in.
Anyone for group investments?