NATIONAL SEMINAR " TRANSPERANCY ON OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES AS AWAY OF AVOIDING NATURAL RESOURCE CURSE"

NATIONAL SEMINAR

“TRANSPERANCY ON OIL AND GAS INDUSTRIES AS AWAY OF AVOIDING NATURAL RESOURCE CURSE”   

INTRODUCTION     

Transparency in oil and gas is indeed important because there are histories showed us from many countries in particular from Africa and Asia region which rich of oil and gas but these countries could not develop better, instead create war, corruptions and they could not be able to increase quality of lives of its own citizen.

Based on these experiences oil and gas do not provide maximum benefit but instead it becomes plague for the people. It becomes a plague to the people because in various places trigger conflict and war as it has high commercial value. But on the other hand, it could also make economically strong country and would not dependent donors from powerful countries. Furthermore, this recourse becomes plague for the people when it is not well managed no transparency of its utilization of revenue produced. It also become plague for the people when in many countries there are groups or government use the resources for the interest of the group to strengthen of political elites or regime, and it does not give benefit to the people to develop the economy.    

IMPLEMENTATION OF TRANSPARENCY ON OIL AND GAS IN TIMOR LESTE

Timor Leste is a country that geographically located in the sub-region of Southeast Asia that quite rich of oil and gas. Where, some parts of these resources have been explored and other yet to be explored. When these riches of natural recourse commercialized will generate funds would facilitate development of the country which in turn could also empower people as the owner of the recourses. On the other side Timor Leste as country in Southeast Asia that economically highly dependent from revenues of oil and gas as the major source for the state budget to support national development, therefore there is a need to seriously oversee the process of transparency on the revenues coming from oil and gas production to ensure sustainability. And in order to achieve that Timor Leste needs to do investment on all productive sectors such as education, agriculture, tourism and basic infrastructures so that could respond the necessities of the people. That is why transparency is need for the oil and gas revenues to avoid resource curse.

Transparency of oil and gas is indeed very important for Timor Leste because mostly 80% of Timor Leste’s general stare budget subsequently dependent to petroleum revenues. The initiative of using EITI as a tool is also very important when speaking about payment and transference of money coming from oil and gas production. So moreover, the issue of transparency in the area oil and gas industries continue to be very important for debate in order to know and help the development of the economy in the context of national development of the country, aims to improve people’s economy and lives, improve condition of the community through road access, clinic, schools to contribute then national development.  .  

According to findings from Luta Hamutuk from the monitoring and observation on transparency of oil and gas industry initiative, that is important for Timor Leste to avoid from natural recourse curse to ensure national development in other sectors that will support general economic development of people of Timor Leste, at the same avoid temptation of mismanagement, corruption from petroleum revenues. Only then we could fund our national development now and future that will really give benefit to the people to reduce poverty and conflict. To ensure implementation of transparency on oil and gas industries in Timor Leste there is already established system of transparency of petroleum fund and the adoption of EITI as a tool by Timor Leste to ensure its processes for oil and gas industries.

Although there is a law for Petroleum Fund as the benchmark of good governance and management but the reality of practices there was not discipline to what the law implied. But as it said the issue of petroleum fund in particular of transparency of oil and gas industry is very fundamental for the development of Democratic Republic of Timor Leste (RDTL). For that reason, the first (I) and forth (IV) of constitutional government have had commitment and initiative to member of EITI and lastly Timor Leste was succeed to generate its report on payment and transference revenues obtained from petroleum exploration. This report as the practices on the implementation of transparency on oil and gas in Timor Leste, dissemination of information on EITI is now conducted by stakeholders of EITI in Timor Leste. 

Extractive Industry and transparency is indeed established but there still no transparency of utilization and perhaps still long way to reach. So the transparency of utilization of petroleum fund allocation to the state budget to fund the national development is becoming very significant challenge for the transparency itself in future, that would only sink the people money and lead to curse of natural resources. 

With this perspective, Institure of Luta Hamutuk takes initiative to organize National Seminar with theme of: Transparency on oil and gas industry as a way of avoding of natural resource curse. And according to Luta Hamutuk’s perspectives the time has come to expand information and discussion on this issue so that natural recourse development not turned into recourse curse.

The initiative of Luta Hamutuk to organize National Seminar, is aiming to invite experts together and explain comprehensively on how transparency on oil gas revenues as a tool to avoid natural recourse curse. From the event will gather ideas and gain support in policy on how natural recourse will not become burden of the people and at the same time avoid from risks that hamper the sustainability of revenues from natural resources in Timor Leste..

This National Seminar is also important because there will be details explanation from stakeholders on how to protect and avoid from natural recourse curse, and at the same time highlighting the importance oil and gas revenues to the national development process.

KEY OBJECTIVES

To develop communication venue among national leaders, local authorities, Civil society and academician on implementation transparence about revenues from oil and gas industries in Timor Leste for the national development as applied transparency in oil and gas industries utilization.

To develop people’s participation in the process of transparency on oil and gas industries, since natural resource in particular oil and gas as state property to use for common good.

To engage governing leaders to participate directly in the process of transparency and also people who have experts and capacity on the issue of transparency revenues of oil and gas to financing national development, the benefit of transparency in this area for the people of Timor Leste.

To directly accompany the government /sate’s commitment and practices, suggestions for strategic planning on transparency for oil and gas industries toward national development. Create venue for public debate on what kind  transparency of revenue that people want, what the ideas and views of local leaders on transparency on oil and gas of which has been invested for national development. 

VENUE AND TIME  

This National Seminar will be held in Dili on Friday 22 October 2010, at Delta Nova Conference Hall (whole day). Will be commenced at 08.30AM – 17.00PM (Details program annex).

SPEAKERS AND TOPICS OF PRESENTATIONS

1.    H.E. Mr. Jose Texeira, MP, former Minister for Natural Recourse RDTL, presents: Timor Leste State’s Policy Toward Natural Recourse Curse”

2.    H.E. Mr. Edy Setyabudhi , Ambassador, Republic of Indoneisa in Timor Leste, will presents “Practices and Experiences of Indonesian National Oil Company (PERTAMINA) on How to avoid natural recourse curse”.

3.    Mr. Agustin Brendan, Woodside. Pty. Ltd, Representing Oil Companies in Timor Leste will presentst “Perspective of Oil Companies on how to avoid natural resource curse”.

4.    Mr. Abrão Fernandes de Vasconcelos, Director General of BPA, presents: “Sustainability Petroleum Fund to Avoid Natural Recourse Curse”.

5.     Mr. Mericio Akara, Director of Luta Hamutuk, presents “Transparency Oli and Gas Sector (Petroleum Fund and EITI) as tools to avoid natural recourse curse”.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants invited to attend the national seminar of EITI in total 150 participants from various entities:

-          Local Authorities (Districts and Sub Districts Administrators, Village Chiefs).

-          Members of National Parliament.

-          NGOs of National and international.

-         Ambassadors of Australia, Indonesia, Portugal, Brazil, Malaysia, Cuba, European Union .

-          EITI members of Stakeholders.

-          Ministry of Finance.

-          Secretary of State for Natural Recourse.

-          Banking and Payment Authority (BPA).

-          Authority of National Petroleum (ANP).

-          Members of Consultative Committee of Petroleum Fund (KKFP).

-          Representatives of Political Parties.

-          Representative of Churches.

-          Local Focal Points from Districts.

-          Representative from Universities.

-          National Media.

CLOSING

This program is indeed very important for all of us and therefore we all therefore Luta Hamutuk asks your presence and active participation and collaboration to make success of the the program. We hope with this national seminar will give encouragement to Luta Hamutuk to achieve main objectives as it has been mentioned earlier.. 

Dili: 13 de Outubro de 2010

Mericio Akara

Direitur Luta Hamutuk

(+670) 7263783

By, Dirigente Media KABLAKIHUN

dw