DUSHANBE, September 18, Asia-Plus - Issues related to creation of investment climate in Tajikistan on the basis of introduction of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) program are being discussed at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) in Dushanbe today.

“The issue of consolidation of all incomes of the national budget that are collected due to the extractive industry enterprises are among major topics of the discussions,” an official source at a MoF told Asia-Plus in an interview.  

Ms. Dyveke Rogan, Regional Director, International Secretariat, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and Mr. Richard Dion, EITI Regional Director for Central Asia and the Caucasus are starting a two-day visit to Tajikistan today.

They are reportedly scheduled to meet Tajik officials to discuss the first report of Tajikistan on EITI.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is an international organization, which maintains a standard, assessing the levels of transparency around countries’ oil, gas and mineral resources.

EITI Standard is implemented in 46 countries. It consists of a set of requirements that governments and companies have to adhere to in order to become recognized as ''EITI Compliant''.  EITI is unique in terms of bringing together representatives from three different groups - private sector, civil society and Government - to work together, through the verification and full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas, and mining.

The international EITI Board approved Tajikistan''s application for EITI Candidate status at its meeting in Oslo on February 26, 2013.  As an EITI Candidate country, Tajikistan has to disclose payments from its extractives sector, and meet all the requirements in the EITI standard within 2.5 years to become EITI Compliant.