PAIA Requirement for Healthcare Practitioners

 

The Information Regulator (Regulator) has opened the annual reporting cycle for access to information requests under the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA).

All public and private bodies are required to submit annual reports detailing requests for access to records received and processed during the reporting period.

Mandatory, not optional

Although the Regulator refers to the process as an ’invitation’, this should not be misunderstood.

Public bodies are obliged to submit an annual report to the Regulator in terms of section 32 of PAIA. The Regulator has confirmed that private bodies are also required to submit annual reports when requested to do so in terms of section 83(4) of PAIA. Accordingly, submission of these reports is mandatory, and the Regulator has made it clear that all organisations are expected to comply.

Key dates and submission process

The reporting window is open from 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2026.

The PAIA reports must be submitted via the Regulator’s eServices Portal accessed here. Information officers (and deputy information officers, where applicable) must be registered on the portal in order to complete the submission.

Organisations should prioritise submission well ahead of the deadline to avoid last-minute delays or system issues.

What must be reported

The PAIA reports must cover the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, regardless of an organisation’s financial year.

Depending on whether the organisation is a public or private body, the portal requires organisations to provide details such as:

• the number of requests for access received;
• how many requests were granted or refused (in full or partially) and on what grounds;
• any extensions of time to respond to the request;
• the number of internal appeals lodged (if applicable);
• any reviews conducted by the Regulator; and
• the number of applications made to a court, and the number of court decisions appealed against.

Once submitted, a confirmation email will be issued to the organisation concerned. It is important that the reports are complete and accurate, as incomplete submissions may trigger follow-up from the Regulator.

Risks of non-compliance

Failure to submit a PAIA report may prompt the Regulator to initiate its own compliance assessment. This can include on-site inspections and a review of the organisation’s PAIA framework. The consequences of non-compliance with PAIA may result in enforcement proceedings being instituted by the Regulator.

Submitting a PAIA report is a relatively straightforward process, but it is a regulatory requirement with real consequences if ignored. Organisations should accordingly ensure that their reports are submitted well before the 30 June 2026 deadline.

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