Information Regulator’s portal for registering information officers goes live

The Information Regulator (IR) says its online portals for the registration of information officers and the submission of Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) reports have gone live.

Information officers who are required to submit section 32 reports for the 2021/22 financial period must do so by 9 September.

Section 55(2) of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) requires information officers to be registered with the Information Regulator before taking up their duties under Popia.

Previously, responsible parties were advised to register their information officers manually while the IR was reconfiguring the online system, which had technical glitches in 2021.

Public and private bodies that have registered manually and received their certificates should not re-register.

In addition to registering information officers, the portal enables these officers to amend and update the details of their respective bodies.

The IR said it will continue to accept manual applications “to accommodate special circumstances”. However, it strongly encouraged public and private bodies to use the portals because they are cost-effective and save time.

To register an information officer or submit a section 32 PAIA report via the portal, users must first sign up and create a profile. The IR provided manuals for users to follow when creating profiles, registering an information officer and submitting PAIA reports via the portal.

Users can register themselves as the information officers of a responsible party or identify themselves as an agent or proxy duly authorised to register another person as an information officer.

To complete the registration form, personal information pertaining to the information officer, any appointed deputy information officer(s), details about the responsible party and information for statistical purposes must submitted.

Section 32 reports

PAIA gives effect to section 32 of the Constitution, which provides that everyone has the right of access to any information that is held by the state, as well as any information that is held by another person that is required for the protection of any rights.

Section 32 of PAIA applies to public bodies, which are any departments of state or administration in the national or provincial government or municipalities or any other public institution exercising power in terms of the Constitution. Public bodies also include any other institution exercising public power or performing a public function in terms of any legislation.

The purpose of the section 32 report is for a body to give an account of:

• The number of requests for access received;
• Access granted in full;
• Access granted in terms of section 46 (mandatory disclosure in the public interest);
• Access refused fully or partially;
• Cases extended;
• Internal appeals to the relevant authority; and
• The number of internal appeals that were refused on the ground that an internal appeal was regarded as having been dismissed.

To access the portal, click here: https://inforegulator.org.za/portal/

For enquiries about section 32 reports, PAIAComplaince@inforegulator.org.za

For enquiries about registering information officers, email Registration.IO@inforegulator.org.za