Time running Out, Yemen should prepare for EITI

SANA'A, Oct. 27 (Saba)- The Studies and Economic Media Center has urged the government to take urgent measures committing petroleum
companies represented by the Extractive Industry Transparency Council to release oil prices and the government's share in oil resources.

The call comes as times runs out for Yemen to prepare a qualification report to
join the Transparency International as a flexible member.
In a letter the center sent to Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and
Minister of Oil and Minerals, the center expressed concerns that the ministry
colludes with
the Total and Nexen Petroleum Companies in an effort to keep the Extractive Industry
Transparency Council ineffective.
There is no longer much time for preparing the report that must be readied by March
9, 2010, the center said, warning if Yemen misses this deadline, she could be
excluded
from the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI).
If this occurs, there would be unacceptable results affecting Yemen's image and its
investment climate as well as excluding it from international financial aid.
Yemen has been accepted as a candidate for the initiative, the letter pointed,
urging the government to exercise its constitutional powers to pressure the
companies on information
release.
Earlier Total and Nixon refused to give information about the prices of oil in
Yemen and the government's share in the country's oil resources for independent
monitors to
scrutinize them.
The center, however, hailed attempts by some local and international organizations
seeking to reelect the Extractive Industry Transparency Council according to
objective
bases.
Yemen set up the controversial council in 2007 and it included the Ministries of
Planning and International Cooperation and Oil and Minerals, Parliament, the
Supreme Anti-Corruption
Commission, oil companies and civil society organizations.
FR