President Benigno S.
Aquino III has intensified government efforts to ensure greater transparency
and accountability in the country’s mining sector, signing Executive Order No.
146 that creates the Philippine Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
(PH-EITI), Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. disclosed.
The institution of
the PH-EITI is a requisite to complete the EITI process to make the Philippines
a “compliant country” in the international undertaking to bring about
transparency and accountability in the extractive industries and in government.
Established in
2003, the EITI is a global coalition of governments, companies and civil
society collaborating to improve honest and responsible management of revenues
from natural resources, particularly oil, gas, metals and minerals.
“Joining the EITI
is among the Aquino administration’s measures to ensure greater transparency
and accountability in the mining sector, including the way the government
collects as well as in the way the companies pay takes from mining,” Ochoa
pointed out.
“Measures and
activities geared towards Philippines compliance with the requirements to join
EITI should be given full support in order to improve the mining sector and
spawn better governance and regulation of the industry,” he added.
Based on EO 147,
the PH-EITI will be implemented and operational through a multi-stakeholder
group (MSG) and decision-making body referred as PH-EITI-MSG, which will be
headed by the Finance (DoF) Secretary and will have, as members, the following:
five Government Representatives chosen by the Mining Industry Coordinating
Council (MICC), five Business Group Representatives, and five Civil Society
Organization (CSOs) Representatives. All members will serve for a term of
three years.
The PH-EITI-MSG is
tasked, among others, to ensure commitment of all stakeholders to the PH-EITI,
set and define strategic direction and scope required to effectively implement
the EITI in the Philippines, produce regular reports with contextual
information about the extractive industries, and ensure that the PH-EITI is
effectively integrated in the reform process outlined under EO No. 79, which
provides the guidelines to warrant environmental protection and responsible
mining in the country.
EO 147 also
necessitates the creation of the PH-EITI Secretariat as well as directs all
other government agencies and GOCCs to assist the multi-stakeholder group and
decision-making body in carrying out its mandate and functions.
As for the
PH-EITI-MSG’s fund requirement, the presidential issuance stated that the
amount will be initially drawn against the current budget of the DoF, and shall
be subsequently included in the annual budget of the finance department.
EO 147, which was
signed on November 26, 2013, shall take effect immediately upon publication in
a newspaper of general circulation.
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