Groups want US help in improving transparency in extractive industries
Anti-corruption advocates say they want the US government to help them push for transparency in the extractive industries, as ongoing mining continues to disrupt the lives of many Cambodians. At least 120 companies, most of them Chinese, have obtained mining licenses in the last decade, as they seek precious metals, oil and gas in Cambodia. … Meanwhile, much of their activities take place in poor communities, leading to problems for villagers, said Lay Khim, an extractive industries program coordinator for Oxfam America. … Natacha Kim, director of Cambodians for Resource Revenue Transparency, said the government’s management of its timber resources was “weak,” and she said she hoped the same doesn’t happen with mining. Other observers say the lack of transparency of mining is in line with recent erosions of freedom, the political stalemate with the opposition, an impending cyber-security law and other trends. … “About half of Cambodia’s budget is financed by foreign aid,” said Isabel Munilla, senior adviser for Oxfam America’s extractive industries projects. “So for a country with a GDP of about $1.4 billion and 15 million in population, foreign aid is significant and very important.”
