The government should disclose the public information on the oil, gas and mining to bring more transparency in Cambodia.
March 24, 2011,
PHNOM PENH–The Royal Government of Cambodia has recently taken important steps towards improved transparency in reporting details associated with oil, mining and gas enterprise in Cambodia, according to Cambodians for Resource Revenue Transparency (CRRT).
But as this crucial sector continues to mature in Cambodia, the government should increase its efforts to consistently and accurately release revenue and other information related to extractive industry sector to the Cambodian public. 2011 will be an important year of preparation in terms of information flow, the TOFE website update, legal framework, development of policies and laws and development of job opportunities for Cambodians.
Recent revenue disclosures on the Ministry of Economics and Finance’s TOFE website constitute “a significant step in the right direction,” said Mam Sambath, chairman of CRRT “We look forward to continued improvement in our mutual interests in sharing important public information with all constituencies within Cambodia.”
Meanwhile, CRRT applauded the Cambodians National Petroleum Authority’s upgraded and improved website at http://www.cnpa-cambodia.com/. The new website includes expanded information about oil, gas and mining developments in Cambodia and also includes links to important information sources, including the CRRT website, located at http://www.crrt-cambodia.org/.
“The link of CRRT’s website in the CNPA’s is a good sign and a starting point between CRRT and CNPA to work together to ensure transparency and accountability for Cambodians,” said Sambath. “We respectfully urge the government to disclose detailed information about oil, gas and mining as it is important to the public and civil society to be able to know and to access any information regarding the sector.”
Establishment of a legal framework and creation of laws governing the extractive industries is an important cornerstone that will influence Cambodia’s long-term future. The draft law on petroleum taxation was sent to the Council of Ministers, but some stakeholders have been excluded from discussions on the law’s creation. CRRT has called upon the government to solicit the public’s opinions and to involve civil society groups and relevant stakeholders in drafting the laws so that the effectiveness of the laws are widely known and ensures that revenues generated from the extractive industry will be transparent and accountable to Cambodians.
“The law is important since the measure shines a light on billions of dollars generated from extractive sector and especially to protect the benefits of the Cambodians.” Sambath said, “At the same time, open public discussion and access to information will help citizens of Cambodia have access to processes of the company and financial information, and this will enable them to meaningfully participate in the debate on how revenues should be used and the types of development projects that matters to their lives.”
Meanwhile, ongoing development of Titanium exploration in Koh Kong is expected to bring significant revenues to the Cambodian government, but the project raises questions about how licenses are granted and what attention is paid to environmental impact concerns. The government has approved a 20,400-hectare concession in Koh Kong province to a private company, Sambath said CRRT is concerned that the project impacts a crucial Cambodian environmental asset while voicing concerns about how the mining license was granted to the company.
Sambath also spoke to the continuing need for a national training program so Cambodians may enjoy the benefits of good paying jobs in EI as the sectors develop here.
“Development of oil, gas and mining in Cambodia will create a wealth of employment opportunity, including many high-paying positions that will require technical training,” Sambath said. Absent a commitment to a national training program to ensure that Cambodians are qualified for these positions, they will be occupied by foreigners, he added.
The Institut de Technologie du Cambodge, at the urging of Prime Minister Hun Sen, and with the assistance from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), is reopening a geology program to meet the demand of mining business development in Cambodia.
“This is an example of an educational program designed to meet market demand for workers with specific technical training,” Sambath said. “It should be used as a model for other, similar programs established to make sure that Cambodians are prepared to fill jobs in the EI sector as these industries develop in Cambodia.”
Further government movement toward education and transparency would be welcomed by civil society as the country enters this pivotal time in terms of policy and program development. Recent steps by the government to curb corruption served as another encouraging example.
“We applaud the government’s interests in requiring officials to reveal their assets as a serious step towards controlling corruption in Cambodia, and we look forward to the government’s ideas on how best to disclose that information to the Cambodian public as the natural other half of the discovery and disclosure exercise with regards to information exchange,” Sambath said.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ms. Thy Heang, Communications Officer, (855) 23 217 607