Dialogue on Contentious Oil Issues in Iraq

In my views future IEITI reports (for 2011 onwards) would be more detailed, comprehensive and challenging due to the following:

First: The 2011 Report should address the flaws, shortcomings and the “missing items” of the previous two IEITI reports and also identify and demonstrate lessons learned so far;

Second: The implications of the New EITI Standard and the requirements to comply with them;

Third: The concluded contracts have already begun showing impacts.

Therefore in my recent contribution on this issue I made specific suggestions to the IEITI Secretariat and the Multi Stakeholders Group-MSG in preparation for the Report 2011/2. I hope they listen!

9: Some observers state that Iraq and the World Bank did not help Kurdistan to prepare its chapter for the EITI report?

AMJ answer on Q9:

To begin with let me emphasis emphatically that EITI report is and should be seen as purely technical not political matter, I must re-emphasis the non-political non-partisan nature of the reporting process.

Required data and submitted by all involved parties and included in the report has to be independently reconciled and verified by known international accounting, auditing and consulting firm (the Reconciler). The reconciliation and verification process involves, among other things, detailed templates, which has to be completed by the involved parties, permitting compilation and comparison of the received data and information.

That said and putting the “blame game” aside, my follow-up of the IEITI report preparation process during 2012 I am not sure what those “observes” have stated was the case. Actually the official statement by KRG on the Report 2010 asserts KRG has, “produced a comprehensive chapter covering the activities of the Kurdistan oil and gas sector in 2010” and posted the chapter on its website.

The KRG Chapter has to comply with the same principles, follow same procedure and adhere to the same verification and reconciliation process as required by EITI and apply to the entire country.

My understanding is that KRG, the Kurdish SCOs and IOCs working with KRG are/will be represented on the MSG of the IEITI. Hence it is vital for them to take active role in the report preparation process to ensure that the KRG Chapter comply with the same mandatory EITI requirements that apply to the entire IEITI. And once again they – the KRG, the Kurdish SCOs and IOCs working in KRG represented on the MSG, should remember that EITI report is purely technical not political matter.