State-owned companies are key actors in the management of extractive resources in many producing countries, especially when their mission is to sell the State’s share of oil. In many cases, however, these structures are very much influenced by the political game and do not transparently with regard to such factors as selling price, income received, costs incurred and the buying companies’ identity. The State’s share of oil is thus often sold under conditions that are not well governed or accountable to citizens.
In the Republic of the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), the National Petroleum Company (Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo – SNPC) is responsible for the sale of the State’s share of oil, which accounts for 90% of the public revenue derived from the extractive industries.1 However, as is often the case in resource-rich countries, and as evidenced by investigations into the transparency of State oil sales in the Congo, civil society continues to struggle to obtain official information about the SNPC’s activities and to ensure that the Congolese State is acting in the common interest
This case study was written by Charlotte Boyer, previously with PWYP Congo Brazzaville, and is part of Publish What You Pay’s Data Extractors programme, a pilot programme which trained PWYP members and activists from across our network to use extractives data.
Lessons learned from Publish What You Pay Established in 2002, the Publish What You Pay (PWYP) movement is widespread across Africa, with nearly 30 active national coalitions working on natural resource governance. The African continent is known for its abundant natural resources, but also for its shortcomings in relation to governance and transparency in managing…
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The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) develops and supports implementation of global best practice through voluntary reporting by businesses and other organisations on their economic, environmental and social impacts though its Sustainability Reporting Standards. By doing this, it helps companies and others better assess, and address, their socio-environmental impact and promotes sustainable business practices. In December…
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State-owned companies are key actors in the management of extractive resources in many producing countries, especially when their mission is to sell the State’s share of oil. In many cases, however, these structures are very much influenced by the political game and do not transparently with regard to such factors as selling price, income received,…
Read Download