The Studies & 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 time runs out for Yemen to prepare a qualification report to join 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 time for preparing the report that must be ready by March 9, 2010, the center said, warning if Yemen misses this deadline, it 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.