Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (KRG.org) – The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative will for the first time include the Kurdistan Region’s oil and gas payments in its report on Iraq.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) every year publishes how much oil, gas and other extractive industry companies pay to governments, and how much the governments receive, and looks at any differences between these amounts. The EITI promotes transparency of the natural resources sector.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has been working to implement the principles of the EITI, which are enshrined in the Kurdistan Oil and Gas Law of 2007, so that the Kurdistan Region’s efforts and achievements will be reported in this year’s EITI Iraq Report for the first time. The report, which will be published at the end of this year, includes a dedicated chapter on Kurdistan. For some time, the KRG has made available online its oil and gas sector Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs).

According to Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, "The KRG is fully committed to further meaningful steps in the effort to eradicate corruption. This is an ongoing challenge to our government and our people as we seek to modernize our institutions and our social and political attitudes. The occasion of International Anti-Corruption Day reminds us to re-double our efforts at all levels and to build a more transparent and open system in which all segments of society can have trust and confidence. We have made progress, but there is much more work to be done."

On International Anti-Corruption Day December 9th 2012, the KRG pledges to continue tackling corruption through its strategy on Good Governance and Transparency, which was launched by Prime Minister Barzani in 2009. As well as participating in the EITI, the KRG has been carrying out internal administrative procedural reviews. The KRG has also engaged with the World Bank to look into economic growth factors, modernising procurement, and participating in the Iraq Revenue Transparency project. These initiatives will help the KRG to take the right steps towards more efficient administrative procedures.

Iraq remains at a low score in this year’s Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index, which was released last week. The KRG’s Office of Governance & Integrity believes that the Kurdistan Region should be rated separately from the rest of Iraq, and has been discussing this possibility with Transparency International.

December 9th was designated by the UN as International Anti-Corruption Day to highlight the importance and dangers of corruption for the international community and as a reminder of the damage it causes to economic progress and efficiency.