Uganda has been commended by the Oslo-based Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Board following a recent validation of the country.
Uganda’s validation score published by the EITI Board on May 21 was based on the implementation of the 2019 EITI standard. According to the EITI validation classification, a score of 0 – 49 is categorised as “low”; 50 – 69 is “fairly low,” 70 – 84 is ranked as “moderate,” 85 – 92 is classified as high, while 93 – 100 is very high.
How ever,persistent issues surrounding transparency in the disclosure of oil and mining contracts as well as discrepancies in gold production and export data affected its overall score.
EITI is a public-private partnership designed to help resource-rich countries avoid corruption in the management of extractive industry revenues. EITI believes the fact that oil gas and minerals resources belong to the people and therefore they should benefit from their extraction and sale.
The Uganda Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG) is hosted by the Ministry of Finance and chaired by Moses Kaggwa, Director of Economic Affairs; Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. Scholars and policymakers now recognize good governance in the management of natural resources as key to ensuring that countries can prevent and escape the resource curse and translate resource wealth into inclusive economic development.
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) supports improved governance in resource-rich countries through the verification and full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas, and mining.
The National Oil and Gas Policy, of 2008, recognizes the role civil society organizations can play through advocacy, mobilization, and dialogue with communities.
Civil Society Organizations are expected to hold accountable the different stakeholders concerning oil and gas issues and participate in getting the voices of the poor into designing, monitoring, and implementing programs in the oil and gas sector.
Uganda joined EITI in August 2020. Uganda has since established a functioning Uganda EITI Secretariat under the Ministry of Finance.
