APPLYING THE LAW

Responding to Requests: Fees

Access will not be permitted until the fees imposed are paid. The time limits under the law for providing access to information are suspended during the period when you are waiting for fees to be paid. Fees are usually set out in supplementary regulations or Rules made under the Act. If no fees have yet been prescribed, then no fees can be imposed and the information should be supplied free of charge.

In keeping with the spirit of open government, fees need to be kept to a minimum to ensure that they do not operate in practice as an obstacle to access because they block the poor from accessing information. If the requester is the holder of a Below the Poverty Line card, then section 7(5) of the Central Act requires that no fees will be charged at all. If the time limits for making a decision or supplying the information are not met, then section 7(6) of the Central Act requires that no fees can be charged.

The same rules apply whether you have requested to be supplied with the information requested or would just like to inspect documents.

Please click on the link to the Central RTI Act to read the detailed provisions contained in the law. Please click on the link to CHRI's State RTI pages to find out more about relevant rules and implementation in your specific State.