Data collection from companies, govt depts seen as challenge

Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Charles Abel has launched the extractive industry reports and says data collection from companies and government departments for the reports continue to be a challenge.
The reports were compiled by the PNG Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). They contain information on the different revenue pathways from the industry.
The reports for 2015 and 2016 also contain how much money development companies pay to the government and whether that money was accounted for.
Abel said it could be necessary to make laws to have companies, government agencies and departments provide data to the EITI.
He said through the Internal Revenue Commission, the 2018 budget had provisions brought in for the Income Tax Act. The provisions enabled the IRC to have access to income tax returns, and not be restrained by the secrecy provisions of the Income Tax Act.
Abel said similar government intervention could be done for the extractive industry.
The EITI operates by a cabinet decision and does not have a legislation of its own, according to EITI head of National Secretariat Lucas Alkan.
Alkan said a legislation would give teeth to the EITI.
He said the 2014 report had many data gaps and in the 2015 and 2016 reports, the EITI had tried to improve on that.