Agency expanding reach to three sectors

THE PNG Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PNGEITI) will expand to cater for three more sectors in the non-renewable area, says its national secretariat deputy head Chris Tabel.
Tabel said the forestry, agriculture and fisheries sectors wanted to replicate the EITI model.
He said the EITI policy currently under consultation had included a provision to capture these sectors.
“This particular initiative was created solely for the purpose of creating transparency in the extractives of mineral, oil and gas sector,” he said.
“But, we’ve also captured inside the EITI policy on extractives a certain provision that would allow for expansion into the other three sectors.
“This would allow us to expand to forestry, agriculture and fisheries with the model itself.”
Tabel said this was no different to some countries in the world which implemented the EITI going into the non-renewable sector.
He said that it was dependent on the economy and what drove it.
“So, in terms of having that guidance, we’ve captured inside to move into these other sectors,” he said.
“In this particular consultations, we’ve got a lot of feedback in terms of that expansion and we noted them and we will now take that back and in terms of formulating the finalised bill.”