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Activists outside the offices of Chevron, Houston, Texas. Photo: Scott Dalton/Oxfam America

Publish What You Pay

More than half of the world’s poorest people live in countries rich in natural resources, but they rarely share in the wealth.

Too often, communities have no say in the extraction of resources from their land and receive little information about how much money their governments receive. But mining, oil and gas projects don’t have to add to poverty and powerlessness: on the contrary, they can help communities overcome these challenges.

The Publish What You Pay campaign aims to help citizens of resource-rich countries hold their governments accountable for the management of revenue from mining, oil and gas companies.

Supported by a coalition of more than 700 organisations — including many here in Australia — the campaign is calling for the mandatory disclosure of payments made by mining, oil and gas companies to all governments for the extraction of natural resources. We’re also interested in what governments pay to companies.

Calling on governments to publish full details on natural resource revenues is a necessary first step towards a more accountable system of management. With access to information on mining, oil and gas revenue, citizens are better informed and able to debate how this money should be used.

Publish What You Pay Australia

Formed in June 2011, Publish What You Pay Australia is demanding that:

  • the Australian Government fully implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) following a pilot which commenced on 1 July 2012, and in doing so improve trust and accountability in Australia as well as help secure the EITI as the global standard for transparency in the extractive industries.
  • the Australian Government introduce legislation that would oblige companies listed or based in Australia to publish what they pay governments in the countries in which they operate, in line with similar legislation being introduced in the United States and European Union.

Besides Oxfam Australia, our members include:

  • A Billion Little Stones
  • Australian Council for International Development
  • CAER: Corporate Analysis. Enhanced Responsibility
  • CARITAS Australia
  • CFMEU – Mining and Energy
  • Conservation Council of Western Australia
  • Economists at Large
  • Friends of the Earth Australia
  • Global Poverty Project
  • Human Rights Law Centre
  • Jubilee Australia
  • Mineral Policy Institute
  • Tear Australia
  • Transparency International Australia
  • Uniting Church in Australia: Synod of Victoria and Tasmania
  • Action Aid Australia
  • Aid Watch
  • Anglicord
  • Burma Campaign Australia
  • Oaktree Foundation
  • Search Foundation
  • SJ around the bay
  • World Vision Australia

PWYP Australia also works with sister coalitions:

  • Micah Challenge
  • Tax Justice Network Australia

Links

  • Want to learn more about Publish What You Pay?
    Why do our activists choose to campaign on this issue? What drives them day-to-day, and what motivates them to care so much about transparency in the extractive sector? Find out more from our members, from Niger to Tajikistan, explaining why transparency is so important to them.
  • How does the ASX stack up?
    A number of global stock exchanges have rules that require listed mining companies to publish what they pay to governments in the countries where they operate. Find out how the Australian Stock Exchange compares.
  • What is the EITI domestic Pilot?
    The Australian Government began implementation of the EITI Pilot in July 2012. The aim of the EITI is to increase the transparency of transactions between governments and oil, gas and mining companies by annually publishing material payments by companies to governments and revenues received by governments. Learn more about the pilot and progress.
  • Let’s move ‘Beyond Transparency’ at the EITI Global Conference in Sydney, May 2013
    The 6th EITI Global Conference will be an opportunity for the 37 implementing countries to share lessons learnt and address future challenges for the EITI. Learn more about the conference which will be held on the 23-24 of May 2013 in Sydney.
  • Australia taking part in the EITI – what it means?
    In this radio interview, Serena Lillywhite, Oxfam Australia’s Mining Advocacy Lead, says that while the EITI was developed to help developing countries around the world it has a place in Australia too.
  • Will the PNG LNG project brings its future hopes for a nation?
    This investigative report by PWYP member Jubilee Australia highlights circumstances, events and impacts associated with Exxon Mobil’s US $19 billion Gas Project in Papua New Guinea’s Southern Highlands.