Mine Ministry, Commission Team up to Fight Corruption

A technical committee led by the Federal Ethics & Anti-Corruption Commission will be conducting a regular investigation and follow up on the activities of the Ministry Mines & Petroleum.

Composed of experts from the Commission, the Ministry and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the Committee will have three to five members and will meet every three months. It will also submit reports every six months to the institutions and the parliament. The Committee compiles reports after collecting data and information from the Ministry, which is identified as prone to corruption.

Over the past couple of years, the export revenue generated from the sector has been significantly dropping. Six years ago, the export of mineral products generated 650 million dollars but dwindled to 49 million dollars in the last fiscal year. Corruption practices and pilfering were attributed as a cause for the decline.

The agreement for the investigation was signed between Samuel Hurkato (PhD), minister of Mines & Petroleum, and Ayelgn Mulualem, commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission on October 15, 2019, at the premises of the Ministry.

"We want the sector to be transparent and accountable," said Samuel.

According to the agreement, the Ministry will conduct nationwide research workshops to help and protect the area from corrupt practices; organise capacity building training, professional consultation and experience-sharing activities; and promote the negative sides of corruption in mass media and print outlets.

Reporting and registering the wealth of the officials at the Ministry, establishing monitoring systems to prevent corruption and corrupt practices on large purchases and developing and implementing a code of ethics for the staff of the department and the private investors involved in the sector is also part of the responsibilities of the Ministry under the agreement.

Providing professional support, awareness creation training, forming policies and strategies around anti-corruption laws and taking a systematic approach to identify the most vulnerable mining sector to corruption and corrupt practices are the mandates of the Commission.