Greenwatch Group Takes Legal Action Against Ugandan Government for Secrecy Surrounding Oil Deals

[TzPride]

Usiri wa mikataba serikali zetu ziingiayo na makampuni ya kigeni, waganda wanataka haki yao kikatiba ya kujua mikataba hiyo ina nini humo. Bongo hili limekuwa tatizo kweli kweli....siri siri kali! Soma hapo chini uone Waganda wanavyosaka haki yao:

http://petroleumafrica.com/read_article.php?NID=8879

Ugandan Government Sued for Full Disclosure of PSAs

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Ugandan government has been sued over the secrecy behind oil deals in the country. Greenwatch group filed a case at the High Court on December 22 and are seeking to have the government release copies of PSAs signed with four exploration companies, Heritage Oil, Tullow Oil, Dominion Oil, and Neptune Petroleum.

“According to our constitution, every citizen is entitled to information within the possession of the state and it can only be legally withheld where disclosure jeopardizes national security or compromises individual privacy,” said Kenneth Kakuru, Greenwatch’s lawyer in a Reuters report.

“So the state is acting illegally in refusing to release the PSAs.”

Demands for more transparency from the government have been ongoing for some time, however, the Ugandan government has time and again stated that disclosure of the terms would severely weaken its bargaining power in future negotiations.

Officials said in December 2009 that Uganda will demand tougher terms in the next round of PSA negotiations with foreign exploration firms eyeing its Lake Albert reserves. Licensing of new exploration blocks is expected to start in Q3 2010 after a two-year suspension.

 

[PakaJimmy]

Sisi bado tupo usingizini ndugu.

Ndo juzijuzi hapa nasikia kitu hiki hapa chini:

Mikataba ya Madini Nchini Sasa Kuanikwa!

TANZANIA inatarajia kuondokana na adha ya kuingia mikataba mibovu na ya kifisadi kwenye sekta ya madini, nishati na gesi baada ya kujiunga na Taasisi ya Kimataifa ya Kusimamia haki na uwazi wa Mikataba ya Uwekezaji ijulikanayo kwa jina la Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Uchunguzi uliofanywa na Mwananchi umebaini kwamba kujiunga huko ni faraja kubwa kwa Tanzania ambayo katika miaka ya karibuni imekumbwa na wimbi la mikataba mingi mibovu ya uwekezaji inayoondamana na mipango ya kifisadi na isiyojali maslahi ya wananchi.

Taarifa zilizopatikana kwenye tovuti ya EITI na kuthibitishwa na serikali, Tanzania imejiunga na taasisi hiyo Februari 16, mwaka jana na tayari imeanza kutekeleza hatua muhimu za kuukamilisha uanachama wake.

Lengo kuu la kuanzishwa kwa taasisi hiyo linaelezwa ni kuhakikisha uwepo wa haki na uwazi kwenye mikataba inayoingiwa kwenye sekta hiyo.

"EITI itaweka mikataba hiyo wazi ikiwa ni pamoja na mapato ya serikali yanayotokana na wawekezaji ili kuwapa fursa wananchi kuweza kuyasimamia na kuhakikisha yanatumika vizuri katika kuwaletea maendeleo," inaeleza sehemu ya maelezo ya EITI kwenye tovuti hiyo.

Hata hivyo, maelezo ya taasisi hiyo yanaonyesha Watanzania wataanza kufaidika na taasisi hiyo Februari 15, mwaka ujao wakati ambapo uanachama wa Tanzania utakapothibitishwa na sekretarieti ya EITI inayoongozwa na Jonas Moberg na Katibu wake Mtendaji, Leah Krogsund.

Baadhi ya hatua ambazo tayari Tanzania imeanza kuzichukua ili kuhalalisha uanachama wake ni pamoja na Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, William Ngeleja kuteua timu ya wataalamu watano, miongoni mwao wakiwepo maafisa wa serikali na wadau binafsi wa sekta ya nishati na madini, kufanya kazi na EITI.

Hata hivyo, taarifa za mtandao huo zinaonyesha kwamba Tanzania bado haijamteua mwenyekiti wa timu hiyo, lakini Mwananchi lilibaini kwamba hatua hiyo tayari imetekelezwa na aliyeteuliwa ni Jaji Mstaafu, Mark Boman.

Miongoni mwa mambo yaliyochangia kuundwa kwa EITI ambayo ilianza kufanya kazi kuanzia mwaka 2003 ni "migogoro mingi na wawekezaji iliyoandamana na rushwa na usimamizi mbovu wa serikali za nchi mbalimbali katika sekta ya madini, gesi na mafuta."

"Hizi ni juhudi mahususi na zenye kuleta matumaini kwa kuhamasisha uwepo wa uwazi ili kulinda maslahi ya pande zote (wananchi na wawekezaji)," inaeleza sehemu ya maelezo ya EITI kwenye tovuti yao.

Miongoni mwa faida ambazo nchi wanachama atazipata zinatajwa kuwa ni kuboresha mazingira ya uwekezaji kwa kuzingatia kanuni zilizoridhiwa kimataifa za kuzingatia uwazi na haki.

Licha ya hayo, EITI inajinadi: "Tunasimamia uwajibikaji na utawala bora pamoja na kuhimiza ustawi wa kiuchumi na kisiasa. Hii itasaidia kuondoa migogoro kwenye maeneo ya uchimbaji wa madini, mafuta na gesi."

Baadhi ya miakataba ya uwekezaji nchini ambayo imelalamikiwa ni pamoja na ya sekta ya madini ambayo inadaiwa kutoinufaisha serikali.

Mikataba mingine ni ya sekta ya umeme ambayo imekubwa na kasoro nyingi zikiwepo za vipengele vinavyowapendelea zaidi wawekezaji na yenye nafasi kubwa ya kusababisha hasara kwa taifa pale inapobidi kuivunja.

Miongoni mwa mikataba ya sekta ya nishati ambayo imeliingiza taifa kwenye misukosuko mikubwa ni ya kuzalisha umeme iliyoingiwa kati ya serikali na kampuni mbili, Independent Power Tanzania (IPTL) kuzalisha megawati 100 na Richmond Development LLC ambao baadaye ulihamishiwa Dowarns kuzalisha umeme wa dharura.

Mkataba na Dowans tayari serikali imefanikiwa kuuvunja, lakini wa IPTL imeshindikana na kwa sasa mustakabali wake inategemea namna itakavyoamuliwa kwenye kesi iliyopo mahakamani.

 

[Mpita Njia]

Mikataba kama hii p-ia inapatikana katika maktaba ya Bunge (kwa mujibu wa ahadi ya serikali). Hivyo, wabunge wetu wana uhuru wa kutueleza kilichomo kwenye mikataba hiyo kama nao wakitaka. Kama serikali haijatekeleza ahadi yake ya kuweka mikataba hiyo katika maktaba ya Bunge, ni jukumu la wabunge kudai

 

[Jasusi]

Mikataba kama hii p-ia inapatikana katika maktaba ya Bunge (kwa mujibu wa ahadi ya serikali). Hivyo, wabunge wetu wana uhuru wa kutueleza kilichomo kwenye mikataba hiyo kama nao wakitaka. Kama serikali haijatekeleza ahadi yake ya kuweka mikataba hiyo katika maktaba ya Bunge, ni jukumu la wabunge kudai

Kama mikataba inapatikana katika maktaba ya Bunge mbona baadhi ya wabunge walilalamika kuwa hawaruhusiwi kuiona hiyo mikataba na waziri kujibu kuwa ni siri ya serikali na wawekezaji? Am I missing something here?

 

[Wacha1]

The Ugandan government has been sued over the secrecy behind oil deals in the country. Greenwatch group filed a case at the High Court on December 22 and are seeking to have the government release copies of PSAs signed with four exploration companies, Heritage Oil, Tullow Oil, Dominion Oil, and Neptune Petroleum.

Si alisema huyu M7 kwenye ule mkutano wa EAC kwamba sasa wana mafuta na anaweza kuwagawia sijui bure members? Yaani miongozi ya kiafrika majigambo tu ati mimi nimesoma etc. Ukiona jitu jinga linaanza kusema elimu yake ujue kichwani ni zero.

BTW TZ pride long time mkuu sijakuona karibu sana.

 

[TzPride]

Si alisema huyu M7 kwenye ule mkutano wa EAC kwamba sasa wana mafuta na anaweza kuwagawia sijui bure members? Yaani miongozi ya kiafrika majigambo tu ati mimi nimesoma etc. Ukiona jitu jinga linaanza kusema elimu yake ujue kichwani ni zero.

BTW TZ pride long time mkuu sijakuona karibu sana.

Nipo ndugu yangu, nashukuru kwa kujali uwepo wangu.

 

[bagamoyo]

Usiri wa mikataba serikali zetu ziingiayo na makampuni ya kigeni, waganda wanataka haki yao kikatiba ya kujua mikataba hiyo ina nini humo. Bongo hili limekuwa tatizo kweli kweli....siri siri kali! Soma hapo chini uone Waganda wanavyosaka haki yao:

http://petroleumafrica.com/read_article.php?NID=8879

Ugandan Government Sued for Full Disclosure of PSAs

Thursday, January 7, 2010

The Ugandan government has been sued over the secrecy behind oil deals in the country. Greenwatch group filed a case at the High Court on December 22 and are seeking to have the government release copies of PSAs signed with four exploration companies, Heritage Oil, Tullow Oil, Dominion Oil, and Neptune Petroleum.

“According to our constitution, every citizen is entitled to information within the possession of the state and it can only be legally withheld where disclosure jeopardizes national security or compromises individual privacy,” said Kenneth Kakuru, Greenwatch’s lawyer in a Reuters report.

“So the state is acting illegally in refusing to release the PSAs.”

Demands for more transparency from the government have been ongoing for some time, however, the Ugandan government has time and again stated that disclosure of the terms would severely weaken its bargaining power in future negotiations.

Officials said in December 2009 that Uganda will demand tougher terms in the next round of PSA negotiations with foreign exploration firms eyeing its Lake Albert reserves. Licensing of new exploration blocks is expected to start in Q3 2010 after a two-year suspension.

Nafikiri Waganda wameistukia EITI maana wanachama (candidate countries, compliant countries, other countries) ni walalahoi, inabidi wananchi wa Tanzania twende kortini kama kamati ya bunge ya madini ikishindwa kazi ya kubainisha wazi kwa nini nchi kama Canada, Russia, Australia, USA , South Africa n.k zenye makampuni makubwa ndani ya nchi zao na pia wamewekeza nje ya nchi zao hawamo ktk listi:
Candidate Countries

Albania Mauritania Burkina Faso Mongolia Cameroon Mozambique Central African Republic Niger Côte d´Ivoire Nigeria Democratic Republic of Congo Norway Equatorial Guinea Peru Gabon Republic of the Congo Ghana São Tomé e Príncipe Guinea (Suspended) Sierra Leone Kazakhstan Tanzania Kyrgyz Republic Timor-Leste Madagascar Yemen Mali Zambia

• <LI class="leaf first menu-mlid-103 has-children">Compliant Countries <LI class="leaf menu-mlid-102 has-children active active-trail">Candidate Countries
• Other Countries

Compliant Countries

Azerbaijan Liberia



Other Countries

Afghanistan Iraq Ethiopia Ukraine










source:http://eitransparency.org/countries/other

 

[bagamoyo]

PakaJimmy,
Tanzania tumeingizwa mkenge, maana ktk EITI ni nchi changa tu ndio serikali zao zimetia wino. Nchi iliyoendelea iliyomwaga wino ni Norway tu, sasa tukitaka kuyabana makampuni toka nchi ambazo hazijasaini itawezekana?

Nchi amabzo hazijatia wino ni pamoja na Canada, Australia na South africa ambazo makapuni yake yamewekeza Tanzania.

Naomba wadau wataalamu wa mikataba na sheria imfahamishe jamiiforums kama matumaini ya Mh. Ngeleja yataza matunda ya transparency?