CHAPTER V
Official Information Board
Section 27. There shall be the Official Information Board consisting of Minister entrusted by the Prime Minister as Chairman, Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister, Permanent Secretary for Defence, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Co-operatives, Permanent Secretary for Finance, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Permanent Secretary for Interior, Permanent Secretary for Commerce. Secretary-General of the Council of State, Secretary-General of the Civil Service Commission, Secretary-General of the National Security Council, Secretary-General of the House of the Representatives, Director of the National Intelligence Agency, Director of the Bureau of the Budget and nine other qualified persons appointed by the Council of Ministers from the public sector and the private sector as members.
The Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister shall appoint a Government official of the Office of the Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister to act as Secretary and two others as Assistant Secretaries.
Section 28. The Board shall have the powers and duties as follows:
(1) to supervise and give advice with regard to the performance of duties of State officials and State agencies for the implementation of this Act;
(2) to give advice to State officials or State agencies with regard to the implementation of this Act as requested;
(3) to give recommendations on the enactment of the Royal Decrees and the issuance of the Ministerial Regulations or the Rules of the Council of Ministers under this Act;
(4) to consider and give opinions on the complaints under section 13;
(5) to submit a report on the implementation of this Act to the Council of Ministers from time to time as appropriate but at least once a year;
(6) to perform other duties provided in this Act; (7) to carry out other acts as entrusted by the Council of Ministers or the Prime Minister.
Section 29. A qualified member appointed under section 27 shall hold office for the term of three years as from the date of appointment. The outgoing qualified member may be re-appointed.
Section 30. In addition to the vacation of office at the expiration of the term. a qualified member appointed under section 27 vacates office upon:
(1) death;
(2) resignation;
(3) being removed by the Council of Ministers by reason of misconduct, improper or dishonest performance of his duties, or incapability;
(4) being a bankrupt;
(5) being an incompetent or quasi-incompetent person;
(6) having been imprisoned by a final judgment to a term of imprisonment, except for an offence committed through negligence or a petty offence.
Section 31. At a meeting of the Board, the presence of not less than one-half of the total number of the members is required to constitute a quorum.
The Chairman shall preside over the meeting. If the Chairman is not present at the meeting or is unable to perform his duties, the members present may elect one among themselves to preside over the meeting.
The decision of the meeting shall be by a majority of votes. Each member shall nave one vote. In the case of an equality of votes, the presiding member shall have an additional vote as a casting vote.
Section 32. The Board shall have the power to summon any person to give statements or to furnish an object, document or evidence for its consideration.
Section 33. In the case where a State agency denies that there is such information as requested, whether it is the case under section 11 or section 25, if the person so requesting does not believe that it is true and lodges a complaint v;ith the Board under section 13, the Board shall have the power to inspect the relevant official information and notify the complainant of the result of the inspection.
The State agency or State official shall allow the Board or the person entrusted by the Board to inspect the information which is in its or his possession, whether or not it is the information permitted to be disclosed.
Section 34. The Board may appoint a sub-committee for considering any inatter or performing any act as entrusted by the Board, and the provisions of section 31 shall apply muta1is mutandis.
