PWYP Indonesia currently are arranging the analysis of Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) report, and in one part of the analysis, there is a discussion about EITI history and the role of civil society in encouraging the initiative.

EITI is a global standard for state revenue transparency from extractive industry (oil, gas, mineral, and coal). EITI report attempt to reconcile the payment report from companies that are tax, royalty, and in kind, and state revenue report from extractive industry.

Interested to dig deeper about the history of EITI and civil society role, the national secretariat of PWYP Indonesia invited Ridaya La Ode Ngkowe, the first national coordinator of PWYP Indonesia (2007-2012), become speaker in the discussion.

According to Ridaya, EITI was born from encouragement of global community movement in 2000, that call for transparency and accountability in extractive sector. It was in line with other initiative, such as Kimberley Process Initiative, an initiative together among government, company, and civil society to stop conflict caused by diamond.

After the EITI Global Conference in Oslo in 2006, civil society coalition consolidated and in the same time did outreach to government (Ministries/Agencies) and figures such as Prof. Dr. Emil Salim to urge the implementation of EITI in Indonesia.

While the consolidation process running, civil society organiztion arranged the academic paper and regulation draft that would be the legal protection of EITI implementation in Indonesia. Besides that, CSO campaigned to public about the importance of EITI implementation.

Ministry of Finance in 2007 Sri Mulyani said her support for EITI. While the deputy chairman of KPK that time, Erry Ryana Hardjpamekas, and Deputy KPK for Prevention, Waluyo, reviewed the preparation of legal basis for its implementation.

The EITI initiative finally was welcomed by Wimpy S Tjejep (Ex Deputy of Coordinating Ministry of Economy) and through Husein (Ex Deputi Assistant/Ex Managing Director of Pertamina), Wimpi attempted to offer all relevant parties. This fasilitation has helped prepare the implementation of EITI, also the discussion of presidential regulation drat that arranged by CSO, until finally the the Presidential Regulation numbe 26/2010 about Sate and Regional Revenue Transparency from Extractive Industry was signed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Ridaya emphasized, “learn from the experience of EITI implementation in Indonesia, CSO should be able to map the actors and find champions in government to ease the acceptance of initiatives that encouraged.”