From Monday 1 July, Maputo will host a significant meeting in which representatives from Angola and Mozambique will come together to discuss issues of transparency and management in the extractive industry. For a week, the Angolan delegation from the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) Coordination Committee will exchange experiences with their Mozambican counterparts, focussing on oversight and benefits for the communities involved in mineral projects, according to O País.
Mozambique, with 15 years of experience on the EITI Coordination Committee, will share its vast knowledge and consolidated practices with Angola, which has only been with the organisation for two years. “This exchange of experiences aims to strengthen Angola’s capacity to manage and oversee the benefits resulting from mineral resources, ensuring that the communities covered are properly assisted and benefited,” said the source.
The transparent management of natural resources and the positive impact on communities are crucial issues for developing countries. Mozambique has strictly followed the legislation since 2013, ensuring that the benefits of natural resources are distributed fairly and equitably. Angola, for its part, is awaiting the validation of its first transparency report and has shown significant progress in overseeing the extractive sector, which contributes more than 90 per cent to the state budget.
The meeting in Maputo, which runs until Friday (5), will bring together technicians and researchers from the gas and oil areas, providing a platform for the exchange of knowledge and the development of joint strategies to promote transparency and the efficient management of natural resources in both countries. This initiative, as pointed out by the newspaper O País, emphasises the importance of regional cooperation in improving governance practices in the natural resources sector.
