MAURITIUS pendently from the police. No journalist has yet been forced to reveal her/his sources, including during police enquiries or before the courts. Civil servants may be sacked or suffer a punitive transfer from one department to another for disclosing information in their possession. Many people are reluctant to give information openly, as they suspect their phones being tapped by security services. SCORES: Individual scores: 2,1,1,2,3,1,1,2,2,3 Average score: 1.8 1.6 Public information is easily accessible, guaranteed by law, to all citizens, including journalists. ANALYSIS: There is no freedom of information legislation in Mauritius. The fact that civil servants from all departments within the administration are not allowed to disclose any information to citizens or the media obviously makes it very difficult for journalists to pursue and corroborate stories. However, some of their published reports are followed up by Members of Parliament in the National Assembly where they put questions in this regard to the respective ministers or even sometimes the Prime Minister. The present government has promised to pass a Freedom of Information Act and the Prime Minister has said that it is still in the pipeline - “a very long one”, given that he promised such legislation as far back as 1991. 8 African Media Barometer - Mauritius 2008