Peru is at risk of being suspended from a global transparency initiative for failing to comply with the country’s commitment to release information through the VIII National Report on Transparency in Extractive Industries.
Lima, Monday, March 28, 2022.- Today a commission of members of the International Secretariat of the Initiative for Transparency in Extractive Industries (EITI) arrived in Peru to learn about Peru’s performance within the framework of said initiative in terms of of transparency in oil, gas and mining activities, informed the Civil Association Law, Environment and Natural Resources (DAR).
The EITI is a space where the Government, companies and civil society participate, present in more than 52 countries, of which Peru has been a member for more than 15 years, and of which it is currently at risk of being suspended.
This is due to the fact that Peru still has pending commitments to fulfill within the framework of the initiative, such as releasing information of public interest on the income generated by these activities through the canon, surcharge and others, as well as information on environmental expenses and payments, management water resources and information on artisanal and small-scale mining.
This information will be made available to the public through the VIII National Report on Transparency in Extractive Industries, whose preparation is financed by the MINEM, which must be presented on March 31. However, this has not yet been prepared, which could lead Peru to its temporary suspension.
In addition to this, the preparation of regional transparency reports in the five Peruvian regions with EITI Commissions (Loreto, Piura, Arequipa, Moquegua and Apurímac) is still pending. These commissions make it possible to disseminate how regional governments use the canon and royalties from extractive activity, in such a way that they contribute to national development.
Faced with this, Vanessa Cueto, vice president of DAR and representative of civil society in the National EITI Commission, maintains: “Peru must comply with the commitments assumed in transparency. Having clear transparency rules is key to promoting good governance in extractive activities and contributing to sustainable development and quality of life for local populations”.