Govt urged to make use of extractive sector’s data

By LUKE KAMA
VALIDATION manager for Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) International Secretariat Alex Gordy has urged the Government, resource owners and Papua New Guinea citizens to make use of data and information that is produced by the PNG EITI Secretariat.
Gordy, who was in the country with another senior official to conduct validation assessment of the performance by the PNGEITI Secretariat , said information and data provided by the PNGEITI Secretariat in its annual reports was very important for Government, civil society, policy and decision makers and resource owners .
“Our aim is not to build a library, meaning compiling annual reports to just sit there in office or in the PNGEITI Secretariat,” he said.
“It is purposely to make information and data accessible for all stakeholders so they can be able to understand, make informed decisions and take the right step forward in terms of transparent and accountable management of revenue from the extractive industries.
“In countries where EITI is established, there is great improvement in transparency and accountability in the management of resource revenues.
“In some cases, governments were able to recoup a lot of money in lost revenues and likewise the resource owners.”
Gody encouraged the Government and resource owners, civil society organisations and PNG citizens to read the annual reports produced by PNGEITI, understand the information and the data provided, and make informed and better decisions to improve transparency and accountability in the management of resource revenues.
Head of PNGEITI National Secretariat Lucas Alkan said since its establishment in 2013, they had challenges but had been making progress.
He said they were producing annual reports for 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016.