Resource Transparency Movement in Egypt

=Overview=

Calls for transparency and for the reduction of corruption have been virulent in Egypt prior the ouster of former President Mohamed Mubarak for a long time. In particular, Egyptian public opinion was rocked by an incident in 2007, when the Egyptian court convicted several businessmen and government officials of bribery charges connected to oil and gas contracts. In the same year, other corruption cases within the oil and gas industry were discussed in a report published by the Egyptian coalition opposition group (Kifaya).

Also there are several institutions and organisations which are (partly) occupied with transparency in the Egyptian oil and gas sector.

=Institutions=

Revenue Watch Institute (RWI)
The RWI considers transparency in the Egyptian hydrocarbon sector to be limited. In particular RWI has criticized that so far there have been no requirements to publicize details of contracts between state-owned oil companies (NOCs) and international oil companies (IOCs) while being in the approval process.

A 2011 report published jointly by Transparency International and the RWI also states, that International oil companies active in Egypt refrain from publishing country specific information on payments to the government.

However, RWI highlights that the current Egyptian government has taken steps to review oil and gas activities of the Mubarak regime and that the ongoing transition is a chance to strengthen transparency and to reduce government corruption.

Transparency International (TI)
TI has called for more transparency in Egypt several times since the ouster of former President Mubarak. In 2010, Egypt ranked 98th (out of 178 countries) in the TI Corruption Perception Index.

Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI)
Although Egypt has so far not signed up to EITI, the Egyptian government indirectly declared their support to the initiative in May 2011 through the G8/Africa Joint Declaration. In the declaration, the leaders of G8 and Algeria, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Egypt state their support to transparency through the full implementation of the EITI.

=References=