TANZANIA: Government Plans to Begin EITI Process
With a growing public debate over extractive resources as the backdrop, Tanzania showed its leadership in Africa last week with the announcement that it would join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
On November 19, Minister for Energy and Minerals William Ngeleja told reporters in Dar es Salaam that the move would help facilitate good governance and supervision of the mining sector and "help to ensure that mineral resources benefit the country. ..."
Though Tanzania ranks fourth in production of gold for Africa, it received only US $90 miillion in revenues from 1999 to 2005, despite exports totalling $3 billion over the same period. The challenges of poor governance of resources and insufficient transparency and accountability have plagued Africa's extractive industries for decades. Revenue transparency is a central pillar in the fight to reduce the resource cusrse and establish effective resource wealth management. Participation in the EITI will give Tanzania essential tools to engage government, parliamentarians and the public in extractive industry policy.
Revenue Watch applauds Tanzania's leaders for their decision to join the EITI and work to manage the nation's extractive industry in the interests of the people.
LEARN MORE
- Dar Seeks to Benefit from Its Minerals (The Citizen, Tanzania)
- TANZANIA: Overview
U.S. Said to Allow Drilling Without Needed Permits - The New York Times
Australia Gas Deal Renews Tension - Financial Times
Charged With Fraud, Nigeria's Ruling Party Leader Resigns - Reuters
Western Senators Propose Ban on Pacific Drilling - The New York Times
To Limit Corruption around Mining in Africa, Follow the Money - The Globe and Mail
Court Backs Oil Project - The New York Times
Transparency Increases, But There Is Still a Long Way to Go - The Phnom Penh Post
IMF Develops Project to Help Africa Deal with Illicit Trade - African Manager
Three-day Conference on Africa's Natural Resources Starts in Tanzania - Standard Times Press
After Oil Rig Blast, BP Refused to Share Underwater Spill Footage - ABC News
Finger-Pointing, but Few Answers at Hearings on Drilling - The New York Times
Complaints Over U.N. Prize Sponsored by Equatorial Guinea's Obiang - Reuters
Guide: Community-Company Grievance Resolution for Australian Mining Industry - Oxfam Australia (pdf)
Cote D'Ivoire: President for Life, and Then Some - The New York Times
In Midst of Massive Spill, Oil Industry Fighting Transparency and Accountability - Oxfam America
Leaked Oil Contracts in DRC Threaten Resource Wars and $10 Billion Rip-Off by British Company - Carbon Web
Contracts Confidential: Ending Secret Deals in the Extractive Industries
Contract transparency is sorely needed to improve the management of natural resource wealth. In a new report from RWI, authors Peter Rosenblum and Susan Maples delve into government and private sector objections to contract disclosure and make conclusions about what information may legitimately and reasonably be kept confidential, and how civil society institutions can better confront the challenge of secret deals.
Learn more about the report ...
NEW TRANSLATION: Revenue Redistribution at the Local Level
Many resource-rich countries are attempting to compensate their producing regions through shares of resource revenues to be spent at the local level. In "Extractive Industries Revenues Distribution at the Sub-National Level," development economics consultant Matteo Morgandi presents a comparative analysis of international legislation for distribution of extractive revenues from across all levels of government. Prepared at the request of the Peruvian National Congress, the report studies the legislative practices of seven resource-rich countries to identify potential and address challenges. Please note that this report is now also available in Vietnamese.
Learn more ...