W. K. W. Deshapriya v Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) RTIC Appeal 169/2021
Salaries of ICTA employees
In an Appeal concerning salary details of the staff employed by ICTA from December 2019 to August 2020, the Public Authority refused the information on the basis that salary details are private information, and are precluded from release by virtue of a confidential clause in contracts entered into with the employees of ICTA. The RTI Commission overruled the objections raised by the PA and ordered release of the information, noting that salaries paid out of public finances must be available for public perusal. The Commission upheld its previous ruling that confidential clauses in contractual agreements cannot be relied upon to prevent disclosure of information [Vide Airline Pilots Guild of Sri Lanka v Sri Lankan Airlines RTIC Appeal 99/2017].