Afghanistan has become a Candidate country within the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), the global standard for improved transparency in the oil, gas and mining sector. This was announced today by the EITI International Board after its meeting in Oslo earlier this week.
In following the EITI standard, the government of Afghanistan commits to publish all payments of taxes, royalties and fees it has received from its nascent extractive sector. Equally, extractive companies operating in Afghanistan will publish what they have paid to the government. Overseen by a multi-stakeholder group with representatives from national government, companies and civil society, these figures will then be reconciled and published in an EITI Report.
Following the decision, EITI Chair Peter Eigen said: “Afghanistan commitment to more transparency in its extractive sector by implementing the EITI, is good news for the people of Afghanistan. The EITI process will enable the people to hold their government and companies to account about how the revenues from their resources are managed.”
EITI Board Member Anthony Richter, Chairman of the Revenue Watch Institute board said: “We welcome the timely decision to admit Afghanistan into EITI. It creates significant opportunities for civil society to hold government more accountable in the growing area of oil, gas and mining development.”
Afghanistan now has two years to implement the EITI standard and undergo an EITI Validation in order to become an EITI Compliant country.
For further information about EITI implementation in Afghanistan, contact Regional Director Sam Bartlett at the EITI International Secretariat.
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