Madagascar is committed to improving governance and transparency in the extractive industries sector with a series of significant measures.
In partnership with the United States Embassy, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) Madagascar announced the establishment of a Data Center, an innovative platform intended to manage the flow of data and information in the extractive sector, in line with EITI recommendations. According to Marc Sergio Clerc, interim executive director of EITI Madagascar, this initiative will require the installation of servers and appropriate equipment in the premises of EITI Madagascar, with the ultimate objective of making the Data Center operational by september. This platform will allow stakeholders to directly access essential data on the extractive sector, thereby strengthening the transparency of mining statistics.
Multiple benefits
By guaranteeing the transparency of mining statistics, this platform provides researchers, students and investors with access to reliable information, essential for assessing the viability of projects in the country. With major projects like Ambatovy and QMM underway in Madagascar, this increased transparency could further stimulate investment and economic development in the long term. However, despite these efforts, Madagascar recently achieved a relatively low overall score of 67 points in EITI implementation, as reported by the EITI Board. This average score reflects mixed performance in the areas of results and impact, transparency and stakeholder engagement. Nevertheless, Madagascar’s membership among the 57 countries implementing the EITI standard was reconfirmed, highlighting the importance of continuing to strengthen the governance of the extractive sector.
Showcase
The new Data Center, which will be operational by September, will play a crucial role in improving transparency. It will serve as a showcase for data relating to revenues, rebates and mining royalties collected by the State or paid by companies. By involving various administrative institutions and extractive companies, this platform aims to consolidate the transparency of financial flows in the sector. This project, funded by the United States Embassy, is seen as an important step toward greater transparency in Madagascar’s extractive sector. By providing easy access to data, the Data Center will not only facilitate decision-making for investors, but also academic research in the field.
Ansa R.