PAIA Manual Submission Extension to 31/12/2015

Private Sector PAIA Manual Submission Extension

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has extended the exemption which was to have lapsed on the 31st of December 2011. Private companies within certain sectors are now exempted from compiling and submitting information manuals in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act to the South African Human Rights Commission until the 31st of December 2015.

While these private companies no longer have to submit manuals during the period of the new exemption they are not exempted from complying with the rest of the Act. Please also note that if an entity is a private body but not a private company as defined in the Companies Act of 2008 e.g. an non-governmental organization, it will not have to comply with section 51 of the legislation until the end of the moratorium exempting such companies.