Following an inception workshop for the potential adoption of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Guyana, the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) has said that if the process is undertaken in good faith it has the potential to significantly improve the quality of public life locally.
The GHRA had previously called for Guyana to seek membership with the EITI, an international mechanism encouraging transparency with respect to revenue transfers in countries engaged in extractive industries.
On Friday, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment held a workshop to discuss the possible implementation of the initiative in Guyana.
In a release, the human rights body stated that the move was an “encouraging” one that held great potential for a country such as Guyana.
“The GHRA is encouraged over the appointment of a consultant to determine what is required in order for Guyana to qualify for membership of EITI,” it said. It continued, “The EITI process, if undertaken in good faith, has the potential to significantly improve the quality of public life in Guyana.”
GHRA noted that the main objectives of the EITI are to achieve transparency in reporting all financial flows generated in the extractive sector along with the creation of a Multi-Stakeholder Committee (MSC), comprising of the government, the mining sector and civil society, to promote and manage the EITI process.
These objectives, GHRA said, could impact significantly on major issues in Guyana that corrode public life in general. “The objectives seek improvement in possibly the two biggest bones of contention in public life in Guyana, namely, persistent allegations of corruption in use of public funds and, secondly, domination by persons sympathetic to the ruling party in appointments to all decision-making mechanisms such as Statutory Boards, Committees, NDCs [neighbourhood democratic councils], etcetera,” GHRA said.
Meanwhile, GHRA noted that there are no current mechanisms in place to encourage free and independent exchange of views and therefore proposals in the EITI will require “an uncommon degree of political courage.”
It added that a more open approach can lead to the erosion of the “political filtering and self-censorship” adopted by the technical staff of government agencies. “Such reticence poses a challenge as regards the public credibility which the EITI process can expect to enjoy,” GHRA pointed out.
The human rights body also expressed hope that the MSC will be effectively represented by all necessary sectors, particularly the civil society sector. GHRA stated that Guyana’s natural resources belong to all Guyanese and therefore their uses are of concern and interest to many persons.
“From what we know of the present composition of the MSC it is not yet sufficiently representative, a situation that will no doubt be reviewed now that the process is up and running,” it observed. “While the GHRA is aware of the difficulty of representing all shades of opinion on any representative body, there are ways of ensuring better accountability if the task is approached it good faith,” it added.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment recently engaged the EITI International Secretariat to host the inception workshop, which will see the preparation of a detailed study by a consultant team from Moore Stephens International Limited.
According to the ministry, the study is expected to include a recommended work plan for the potential implementation of EITI in Guyana along with contextual information, information to prepare EITI reporting, and cost benefit analysis.
The objective, the ministry had said, is to produce a study which will inform the MSC’s discussions regarding the scope and implications of the 2013 EITI standard for Guyana’s extractive industries.
