"EITI Broker: ‘The Government Must Have Political Will", 11 Aug 2015

In July of last year, Burma was accepted as a candidate country for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)...The Irrawaddy...spoke with Wong Aung, director of the Action Group for Resource Accountability in Myanmar and a CSO representative on the MSG, about preparations for becoming EITI compliant and why the issue of resource sharing is so important for Burma’s ethnic minorities...

Are local people and extractive companies cooperating in the process?

Companies are trying to turn themselves into responsible, accountable and transparent businesses and to improve the role of the private sector to meet EITI standards. But it might take a pretty long time to secure the cooperation of local mining companies, including those owned by cronies. I found that some international firms, which already understand the nature of the EITI, are preparing for it. As regards the cooperation of the private sector, I think local companies only understand some aspects of the work that needs to be done within the EITI framework....

How many international companies are working to meet EITI standards on their own while the government prepares for compliance?

Moore Stephens International, an accountancy firm, has been contracted to do a scoping study. It is fair to say that the company is somewhat effectively working with ministries to coordinate related work. EITI is just a tool to resolve problems in politics, the economy and issues of resource sharing that the country is facing. I hope problems can be solved in the long run by broader reforms, for example, by establishing an economy based on federalism, and fair profit sharing rights.