The decision by the United States government this week to withdraw from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) will have no impact on ExxonMobil’s participation in the anti-corruption body and engagement in implementation activities in countries outside of the US, such as Guyana. ExxonMobil is an American multinational corporation.
Senior Director, Public and Government Affairs in Guyana, Kimberly Brasington, told OilNOW on Friday that ExxonMobil remains a supporter of, and participant in EITI in Guyana and around the world.
“We look forward to supporting Guyana in achieving compliance and as a company will absolutely comply with EITI standards put forth in Guyana,” she stated.
In a letter to the EITI board on Thursday, the Director of the U.S. Office of Natural Resources Revenue, Gregory J. Gould, wrote that “effective immediately” the United States was withdrawing as an EITI implementing country.
U.S. withdraws from extractive industries anti-corruption effort
“The decision by the Government in the United States would only impact ExxonMobil operations in the United States,” Brasington said, adding, “ExxonMobil has been an active participant in EITI since its inception at both the secretariat and country levels. The company has actively engaged in application and implementation activities in countries such as Iraq, Indonesia, Chad, Cameroon, Liberia, Colombia, Kazakhstan, Equatorial Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Azerbaijan, and the United Kingdom, and now in Guyana.”
Meanwhile, Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Guyana, Amanda Cauldwell, says the United States remains committed to the important global mission of EITI.
“Through the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development, we will continue our steadfast work internationally with the EITI Board, its committees, and implementing countries to promote transparency, improve energy resource governance, and expand the EITI to new countries,” she told OilNOW.
EITI calls US withdrawal from the anti-corruption body “disappointing, backwards step”
The EITI Board approved Guyana’s EITI candidature application in October, making the South American country the 53rd candidate of the global transparency body.
