The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Board Chairperson Helen Clark, was in Zambia accompanied by Mamadou Bady Balde and Nyasha V. The mission aimed at having open dialogue about Zambia’s implementation of the EITI with various stakeholders that play critical a role in promoting transparency and accountability. Over her 3 day mission, Ms. Clark met with stakeholders from the government, industry and civil society both within and outside the Zambia EITI Council.
She had discussions with 🇿🇲Zambia’s 7th Republican President Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, the President took this opportunity to reinforce political commitment towards Zambia’s implementation of the EITI, and she also encouraged high-level efforts to progress on relevant priorities especially with Zambia’s upcoming Validation.
” I would like to appreciate your leadership as the Zambia EITI Council Chairperson as well as the role that the Ministry of Finance and National Planning plays in the implementation of the EITI in Zambia” Ms. Clark said during her meeting at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning. The meeting with the Secretary to The Treasury also presented an opportunity to understand the Zambian government’s fiscal priorities with regards to the proposed special purpose vehicle and the proposed introduction of a sovereign wealth fund.
She also held a meeting with the senior management team under the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development , the discussions were centered around understanding the government’s priorities in the mining sector; the Lobito corridor; updates regarding the possibility of embedding beneficial ownership in the licensing system and recent developments in state participation in the mining sector.
During her visit, the Rt. Hon. met with Civil Society actors sought to understand the role that civil society plays in Zambia’s mining sector, the priorities CSO’s have set towards their work in the mining industry as well as the type of support that the CSOs’ might need in providing checks and balances to the government and the mining industry.
The Zambia Chamber of Mines and the Federation of Small-Scale Miners met with the delegation, thanking EITI for providing a platform to discuss Zambia’s development with the government and civil society, including the Association of Zambian Women in Mining.
Ms. Clark also had a very fruitful discussion with the development partners at a meeting hosted by the UNDP Zambia. The meeting brought together ambassadors and representatives from various missions, the International Monetary Fund, European Union in Zambia, GIZ Zambia, African Development Bank Group, US Embassy, Swedish Embassy and the British High Commission in Zambia. These missions are vital for EITI implementation as they foster dialogue among key stakeholders and reinforce political commitment in the extractive sector.