18 No. 2 Right to Access Information Act 2013 PART IV–MEASURES TO PROMOTE OPENNESS Maintenance of records. 27. (1) Every public authority shall record and maintain records of its activities in a manner that facilitates the right to information, as provided for in this Act, and in accordance with the Code of Practice referred to in subsection (2). (2) The Commission shall, after consultation with interested parties, issue and from time to time update a Code of Practice relating to the keeping, management and disposal of records, as well as the transfer of records to public archives. (3) The Commission shall cause to be established a documentation centre to reflect and promote the history and culture of the State. Appointment and training of public information officers. 28. (1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), a public authority shall appoint as many public information officers in all offices or units as they have at the local, district, provincial and national levels as is necessary to enable it to provide information to persons requesting information under this Act. (2) Where for any reason, a public authority has not appointed a public information officer, the head of the public authority shall for purposes of this Act, be deemed to be the public information officer of that public authority. (3) A public information officer shall be the principal contact person within a public authority to deal with requests from persons seeking information from the public authority. (4) A public information officer shall be of sufficient rank within the public authority to be empowered to make binding decisions in relation to information disclosure under this Act. (5) Notwithstanding subsection (3), it is the duty of every official to provide reasonable assistance to a person seeking information under this Act and no official may refuse to receive a request for information on the ground only that the official is not a public information officer. No. 2 Right to Access Information Act 2013 19 (6) An official other than a public information officer to whom a request for information is made under subsection (5), shall refer the person seeking information to a public information officer and, if no officer is immediately available, the official shall receive the request and shall ensure that it is forwarded to the appropriate public information officer, who shall also issue a receipt for the request, indicating on it the official’s name, date and designation of receiving the request. (7) A public information officer may seek the assistance of any other official that the officer considers necessary for the proper discharge of the officer’s duties, and the other official shall render the required assistance. 29. Public authorities shall develop, for the purposes of this Act, information communication technology units in accordance with the national information communication technology policy of Sierra Leone, to– Development of information communication facilities. (a) facilitate access to information; (b) ensure transparency and accountability; (c) improve record keeping; PART V–ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS 30. (1) There is hereby established a body to be known as the Commission. (2) The Commission shall be a body corporate having perpetual succession, capable of acquiring, holding and disposing of property, being sued in its corporate name and subject to this Act of performing all functions as bodies corporate may by law perform. (3) The Commission shall have a common seal the use of which shall be authunticated by the signatures of the Chairperson and any other member of the Commission generally or specifically authorised by the Commission for that purpose. Establishment of Commission.