The Guyana government has blamed some members of a stakeholder group for its suspension from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), a natural resources transparency body, for failing to submit a 2020 report in time.
However, it said it is working toward meeting the extended deadline of July 31, 2023.
The EITI promotes the open and accountable management of oil, gas and mineral resources. As a member of the Norway-based body, Guyana commits to disclosing information along the extractive industry value chain – from how extraction rights are awarded, to how revenues make their way through government and how they benefit the public.
“Guyana wishes to point out that its temporary suspension is solely linked to its inability to meet the statutory deadline of December 31, 2022 to submit the independent report by the Independent Administrator on the account of, in the main, the delay perpetuated by some members of the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG),” the government said in a statement on Wednesday after an article about the suspension was published in the Stabroek News.
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat further explained that Guyana had written to the EITI requesting an extension of the deadline to May 31, 2023, citing several reasons, including that the 2019 report was submitted on May 31, 2022, leaving just a few months for the 2020 report to be submitted.
“With that short time frame, we tried to fast track the process and to ensure that we had that report prepared by the 31st December 2022. Having realized there were many difficulties… We would have written to the international secretariat requesting an extension up to the 31st May, 2023 for the submission of that report. That was followed by a meeting between myself and the head of the secretariat, Mr. Mark Robinson to support our request for an extension,” he stated.
Bharrat further explained that while awaiting formal approval following the meeting, the government received correspondence on February 17, notifying of the country’s temporary suspension until the 2020 report is submitted, with a new deadline of July 31, 2023, after which the suspension would be withdrawn.
Addressing concerns related to the MSG, the minister expressed government’s stance that the civil society component was manipulated to include individuals who do not necessarily serve the collective interests of civil society.
He cited a number of delay tactics by the civil society component of the MSG in approving the terms of reference (TOR) for the independent administrator, which resulted in significant delays in the reporting process.
Further delays occurred, Minister Bharrat stated, because the MSG wanted to discuss the director’s appointment rather than the TORs for the independent administrator.
Nevertheless, the natural resources minister said, the local secretariat forged ahead with its work.
Bharrat reaffirmed that government will work to ensure that the report is submitted long in advance of the July deadline.
CMC/
