Zambia formlly attains the status of EITI compliant country

The International Board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Oslo, Norway has formally designated Zambia as an EITI-compliant country.   

The formalization of the country as an EITI means that EITI process (ZEITI), which was launched in 2008 by Government, mining companies and civil society working collaboratively to meet Zambia’s national goals, has been successfully validated as having met the EITI criteria and requirements established by the EITI Board.

The EITI process in Zambia, in line with the international EITI standard, commits mining companies in Zambia to publishing the payments they make to government and commits government to publishing the revenues they receive from these companies.

These two sets of numbers are matched up and published, giving citizens the opportunity to know of the income generated by extracting Zambia’s natural resources like copper, cobalt, gold and other minerals.  

Zambia has to date published two such EITI Reports and the third, for 2010, is in process.

The World Bank in Lusaka and its partners have supported Zambia EITI since its launch in 2008, and now also support national civil society groups to take effective part in ZEITI process.  Through the EITI multi-donor trust fund (EITI MDTF) supported Cooperating Partners, the World Bank support is delivered through hands-on technical assistance as well as EITI MDTF funding in the form of grants.

Country Director of the World Bank for Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi SAYS EITI is an important international standard and the World Bank is greatly encouraged by the effort made by Zambia to meet this global standard, and reach the EITI-compliance milestone.

Dr kadiresan say EITI –compliance sends a strong signal to citizens about Government of Zambia’s commitment to transparency in the mining sector and in working collaboratively with the mining industry and Zambian civil society through the Zambia EITI process. 

She has advised that more work lies ahead for Government and ZEITI stakeholders to continue to build on the achievements so far, and continue to strengthen and deepen ZEITI as a means to build dialogue and achieve stronger national consensus on the key role that minerals play in Zambia’s development and poverty reduction.  

15 donor partners support the EITI technical assistance program in Zambia and across the world through the EITI Multi-donor Trust Fund administered by the World Bank:  Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, UK, and USA.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) aims to strengthen governance by improving transparency and accountability in the extractives sector.

Elsewhere in Africa and elsewhere in the world, the World Bank and EITI MDTF supports the EITI processes and national civil groups in almost all EITI-implementing countries and national civil society groups, and helps outreach to new countries and stakeholders interested in EITI. 

The World Bank uses its financial resources and knowledge and analytical services, its staff, its partnerships and extensive experience to help developing countries reduce poverty, increase economic growth, and improve their quality of life.   

The EITI is a coalition of governments, companies, civil society groups, investors and international organizations and A total of 36 countries are currently implementing EITI, as compliant (15 countries) or candidate (21 countries).

These include (as EITI-compliant countries) Azerbaijan, Central African Republic, Ghana, Kyrgyz Republic, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mongolia, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Timor-Leste, Yemen and Zambia as EITI-candidate countries.

meanwhile Albania, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso,  Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo, Chad, Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Madagascar are in suspension.

The EITI sets a global standard for companies to publish what they pay and for governments to disclose what they receive, and the standard is implemented by individual countries such as Zambia for fulfill national goals around their oil, gas and mining industries, in line with national circumstances.