Albnet-Eiti organized on 6 February 2020 a workshop with local government representatives, community members and representatives of the civil society in Kuçova on the implementation of EITI standards from the extractive industry operating in that municipality as well as the increase of the capacity and enlargement of the civil society coalition.
The head of the Albanian network of civil society Albnet-Eiti, Anila Hajnaj asked the participants to be more persistent in reallocation of the royalty due to the fact that the amount reported by the ministry is higher therefore does not correspond with the amount received by the municipality which is lower. Mrs. Hajnaj stressed that the ectractive industry is exhaustible therefore as long as is operating the benefits of it should be stable.
Sami Neza, Director of the Centre for Free Transparency and Information, said that the EITI initiative where Albania is a member requires strict standards of natural resources management.
Meanwhile Mrs. Hajnaj invited representatives of the community and civil society to join the EITI network in order to make the community’s voice help in the management of natural resources for the best interest of citizens.
The participants asked that oil companies, especially Albpetrol, must increase the transparency in relation to extractive capacity in Kuçovë while central institutions must consult with local power on terms of contracts related to the social impact of the industry.