Making requests #

To which holder can I apply for free access to public information? #

If you can not find a holder, here's how to do it::

• Browse or search for the requested holder in the portal in the "search" field or to find available and published requests similar to yours.
• If you have found the appropriate holder in the Holders menu or in the Search field and if there is information about its website, visit it to see if they have published the information you are looking for.
• Contact the holder by phone or email to find out if the holder has the information you are looking for.

Which institutions have public information?#

According to the Law on Free Access to Public Information, “Information Holders” are the bodies of state government and other bodies and organizations determined by law, the bodies of the municipalities, the City of Skopje and the municipalities in the City of Skopje, institutions and public services, public enterprises, legal and natural persons exercising public powers, determined by law and activities of public interest political parties in the area of revenues and expenditures.

Why does the request need to be specific?#

• Indicate in your application exactly what information you need to make it easier to identify the information you are looking for.
• The applicant is not obliged to explain the request, but it is necessary to state that it is a request for access to public information.
• If the request is incomplete and therefore the information holder can not act, he will ask the information seeker to supplement the request, indicating the consequences if he does not do so. The applicant is obliged to supplement the request within three days from the day of the notification for the need to supplement the request, ie within three days from the day of receipt of the notification for the need to supplement the request.
• If the holder of information who received the request does not have the requested information immediately, and no later than three days from the day of receipt of the request, he is obliged to forward the request to the holder of information who according to the content of the request is the holder of information and to inform the applicant.

Does it cost me anything to make a request?#

• Insight into the requested information is free.
• The applicant for information on the received transcript, photocopy or electronic record of the information, pays a fee in the amount of material costs.
• The Government of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, at the proposal of the Ministry of Finance, determines the amount of the compensation for the material costs for the information provided by the information holders.
• The information holder announces the amount of the fee in an appropriate manner (in the official bulletin of the information holder, website, bulletin board, etc.) and gives it to each applicant for inspection before submitting the request.

What are the deadlines for receiving a response to the submitted request? #

• The holder of the information is obliged to respond immediately upon the request of the applicant, and no later than 20 days from the day of receipt of the request.
• In case the information holder needs to provide partial access to the information or due to the volume of the requested information he needs a longer period than the set deadline, the deadline can be extended up to 30 days from the day of receipt of the request.

What if I do not receive an answer?#

• You have the right to file a complaint to the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information if you have not received a response (decision from the holder) to your request after the legal deadline.

I am not satisfied with the answer to the request, how should I proceed? #

• The information holder is obliged to inform the information requester regarding the request for access to information if after the request he / she has already responded positively to the same or similar request of the same person within three months before the day of receipt of the request.
• If the information holder responds positively to the request or if the request is partially or completely rejected, he / she will make a decision.
• The applicant has the right to appeal against the decision by which the information holder rejected or rejected the request within 15 days from the day of receiving the decision to the Agency for Protection of the Right to Free Access to Public Information.
• The Agency decides on the applicant appeal within 15 days from the day of receipt of the appeal.
• If the Agency does not bring a decision on the appeal of the applicant against the first instance decision within the stipulated deadline, and does not make it within seven days after the repeated request, the applicant may initiate an administrative dispute.
• The information holder is obliged to implement the decision of the Agency within 15 days from the day of its receipt and to inform the Agency about it.

Can the same request be sent to multiple holders?#

Of course the same request can be sent to multiple holders, but the same should be done to each holder individually, there is no option to send to multiple holders simultaneously.