Having accurate, systematic availability of data vital, says Alkan

The National Business

HAVING accurate and systematic availability of data is essential for the successful management of national policies and programmes in Papua New Guinea.
PNG Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (PNGEITI) head of the national secretariat Lucas Alkan highlighted this during the 2019 PNG State of the Environment Report pre-workshop last month in Port Moresby.
It is an international reporting obligation undertaken by lead agency Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (Cepa) to present the best available information about the current state of the PNG environment as the basis for effective environmental management, planning, and reporting.
The pre-workshop information session brought together stakeholders from the government, industry and civil society on the finalisation of the PNG 2019 SoE in its review workshop.
“The PNGEITI national secretariat is pleased to work in partnership to share data as part of Cepa’s international reporting obligations,” he said.
“It is encouraging to see PNGEITI reports playing a pivotal role in providing contextual, financial and economic data for the country’s inaugural State of the Environment Report.”
The PNG 2019 SoE Report is a culmination of a multi-year commitment by the government through environmental regulator Cepa to satisfy its multinational environment agreements (MEA) secretariat’s international reporting obligations.
Cepa is obliged to present reports, including the state of environment (SoE) on a timely basis to the MEA secretariat where appropriate.
“We encourage interested people to access and utilise PNG Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative country reports as an open data resource for information regarding the PNG mining and petroleum sector,” Alkan said.
The PNG 2019 SoE is consistent with the Government’s Environment Act Part II Section 4 (c) and (j) on environmental sustainability and compliance to signed international environmental treaties and conventions.
“We will work in close collaboration to provide feedback to the Cepa to ensure all necessary information and data is made available to them,” Alkan said.