Players ask govt for more oil resource transparency

In a significant development, Uganda’s journey towards transparency and responsible resource management has reached a pivotal moment with the release of its second Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report for the Financial Year 2020-2021.

The Civil Society Coalition on Oil and Gas in Uganda (CSCO), in collaboration with the Advocates Coalition for the Development and Environment (ACODE) and their partners, held an event recently to commend the Ugandan government for this crucial step.

Uganda, which became the 54th member country of the EITI in August 2020, has undertaken various initiatives to implement the EITI, including the establishment of the Uganda Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG).

This group has played a vital role in fostering engagement, conducting consultative meetings, providing capacity-building sessions, and contributing to extractive sector policies and guidelines. This has helped in fostering transparency in the sector.

With the release of its second EITI report, Uganda is now gearing up for its first validation by the Global EITI Secretariat in October 2023, a critical assessment of the country’s compliance with the EITI standard. To support this effort, the Multi-Stakeholder Group is developing a five-year strategic roadmap focusing on information disclosure, enhanced revenue management, accountability, and strengthening operational capacity.

Winfred Ngabiirwe, the executive director of Global Rights Alert, underscored the importance of not just producing reports but acting on the recommendations outlined in the first EITI report.

Transparency should translate into tangible actions that benefit Ugandans. Additionally, there are calls for further transparency through the Access to Information Act, ensuring public access to information about contracts in the minerals, oil, and gas sectors.

Siraj Luyima, Oxfam Uganda Coordinator for Energy and Extractive Industries, emphasized adherence to the EITI New Standards, launched in 2023, particularly focusing on reporting related to energy transition, climate change, and cost recovery.

He highlighted the importance of emissions reporting by resource extraction companies to minimize environmental harm. Furthermore, Luyima also called for cost recovery reporting, especially in production-sharing arrangements concerning oil and gas.