diff --git a/notification-manager/notification_api/dao/models/FOIRequestNotificationUsers.py b/notification-manager/notification_api/dao/models/FOIRequestNotificationUsers.py
index 43e4b57c2..df9bd1737 100644
--- a/notification-manager/notification_api/dao/models/FOIRequestNotificationUsers.py
+++ b/notification-manager/notification_api/dao/models/FOIRequestNotificationUsers.py
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ def savenotificationuser(self, notificationuser):
             conn = getconnection()
             cursor = conn.cursor()
             cursor.execute('INSERT INTO public."FOIRequestNotificationUsers" (notificationid, userid, notificationusertypeid, createdby, created_at, isdeleted) \
-                                VALUES(%s::integer, %s, %s::integer, %s, %s, %i)', 
-                                (int(notificationuser.notificationid), str(notificationuser.userid), int(notificationuser.notificationusertypeid), str(notificationuser.createdby), datetime.now(), notificationuser.isdeleted))
+                                VALUES(%s::integer, %s, %s::integer, %s, %s, %s::boolean)',
+                                (int(notificationuser.notificationid), str(notificationuser.userid), int(notificationuser.notificationusertypeid), str(notificationuser.createdby), datetime.now(), int(notificationuser.isdeleted)))
             conn.commit()
             cursor.close()
         except(Exception) as error:
diff --git a/notification-manager/notification_api/services/notificationservice.py b/notification-manager/notification_api/services/notificationservice.py
index b4991df83..29d793ae3 100644
--- a/notification-manager/notification_api/services/notificationservice.py
+++ b/notification-manager/notification_api/services/notificationservice.py
@@ -30,12 +30,15 @@ def createnotification(self, requesttype, requestid, message, notificationtype,
             notificationid =  self.__createnotification(message, requesttype, notificationtype, userid, foirequest)
 
             #mute notifications for ministry users
-            mutenotification = self.__mutenotification(requesttype, notificationtype, foirequest)
             ministryusers = []
-            usergroupfromkeycloak = KeycloakAdminService().getmembersbygroupname(foirequest["assignedministrygroup"])
-            if usergroupfromkeycloak is not None and len(usergroupfromkeycloak) > 0:
-                for user in usergroupfromkeycloak[0].get("members"):
-                    ministryusers.append(user["username"])
+            if requesttype == "ministryrequest":
+                mutenotification = self.__mutenotification(requesttype, notificationtype, foirequest)
+                usergroupfromkeycloak = KeycloakAdminService().getmembersbygroupname(foirequest["assignedministrygroup"])
+                if usergroupfromkeycloak is not None and len(usergroupfromkeycloak) > 0:
+                    for user in usergroupfromkeycloak[0].get("members"):
+                        ministryusers.append(user["username"])
+            else:
+                mutenotification = False
 
             #Create notification users
             return self.__createnotificationusers(requesttype, notificationid, notificationusers, userid, mutenotification, ministryusers)
diff --git a/request-management-api/request_api/services/notificationservice.py b/request-management-api/request_api/services/notificationservice.py
index 0ba52ede2..cc32ecc5d 100644
--- a/request-management-api/request_api/services/notificationservice.py
+++ b/request-management-api/request_api/services/notificationservice.py
@@ -254,15 +254,24 @@ def __getnotificationtypefromid(self, idnumber):
         return 'rawrequest' if idnumber.lower().startswith('u-00') else 'ministryrequest'    
             
     def __preparenotification(self, message, requesttype, notificationtype, userid, foirequest, requestjson=None):
+        ministryusers = []
         if requesttype == "ministryrequest":
             notification = FOIRequestNotification()
             notification.requestid = foirequest["foiministryrequestid"]
             notification.idnumber = foirequest["filenumber"]
             notification.foirequestid = foirequest["foirequest_id"]
+
+            #mute notifications for ministry users
+            mutenotification = self.__mutenotification(requesttype, notificationtype, foirequest)
+            usergroupfromkeycloak = KeycloakAdminService().getmembersbygroupname(foirequest["assignedministrygroup"])
+            if usergroupfromkeycloak is not None and len(usergroupfromkeycloak) > 0:
+                for user in usergroupfromkeycloak[0].get("members"):
+                    ministryusers.append(user["username"])
         else:
             notification = FOIRawRequestNotification()
             notification.requestid = foirequest["requestid"]
             notification.idnumber ='U-00' + str(foirequest['requestid'])
+            mutenotification = False
 
         notification.notificationtypeid = notificationconfig().getnotificationtypeid(notificationtype)
         notification.axisnumber = foirequest["axisrequestid"]
@@ -271,14 +280,6 @@ def __preparenotification(self, message, requesttype, notificationtype, userid,
         notification.notification = message
         notification.isdeleted = False
 
-        #mute notifications for ministry users
-        mutenotification = self.__mutenotification(requesttype, notificationtype, foirequest)
-        ministryusers = []
-        usergroupfromkeycloak = KeycloakAdminService().getmembersbygroupname(foirequest["assignedministrygroup"])
-        if usergroupfromkeycloak is not None and len(usergroupfromkeycloak) > 0:
-            for user in usergroupfromkeycloak[0].get("members"):
-                ministryusers.append(user["username"])
-
         notificationusers = notificationuser().getnotificationusers(notificationtype, requesttype, userid, foirequest, requestjson)
         users = []
         for _notificationuser in notificationusers:
@@ -301,9 +302,12 @@ def __preparenotificationuser(self, requesttype, notificationuser, userid, mute=
         user.createdby = userid
         return user
 
-    def __mutenotification(self, requesttype, notificationtype, request=None):
+    def __mutenotification(self, requesttype, notificationtype, request):
         #get mute conditions from env
         mutenotifications = notificationconfig().getmutenotifications()
+        if "programarea.bcgovcode" in request:
+            return False
+
         bcgovcode = request["programarea.bcgovcode"].upper()
         if requesttype == "ministryrequest"and bcgovcode in mutenotifications:
             foirequest = FOIRequest.getrequest(request["foirequest_id"])