The Information Regulator has issued a Notice calling on all public and private bodies to submit their Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) Annual Reports for the 2025/2026 financial year. In terms of the Notice, Annual Reports relating to the access of information requests received and processed during the reporting period must be submitted by 30 June 2026.
Legislative Framework
Section 32 of PAIA requires the Information Officer of every public body to submit an annual report to the Information Regulator detailing access to information requests received and processed by that body. In addition, section 83(4) of PAIA empowers the Information Regulator to request Heads of Private Bodies (or their duly appointed Deputy Information Officers) to submit similar reports in respect of access to records requested from private bodies.
Purpose of the Annual Report
The purpose of the PAIA Annual Report is to enable the Information Regulator to assess whether public and private bodies are receiving and recording requests for information. The report requires these bodies to also indicate whether the requests for information that were received were responded to within the timeframes stipulated in PAIA and whether there were any internal appeals and the outcomes of those appeals.
Submission Process
All PAIA Annual Reports must be submitted via the Information Regulator’s online eServices portal. Organisations will not be able to submit their reports unless Information Officers, Head of Private Bodies, and Deputy Information Officers are registered with the Regulator. The submission window is open from 1 April 2026 and closes on 30 June 2026.
Failure to submit the required Annual Report may be viewed as non-compliance with PAIA and could expose an organisation to regulatory scrutiny.