Think Myanmar’s oil and gas sector is secretive? At least we’re not Turkmenistan.
That’s the only country whose state-owned resource extraction is less transparent than ours, according to a new survey.
The Myanma Oil & Gas Enterprise (MOGE) was ranked 44th in an assessment of how open 45 countries were about their use of natural resources.
Turkemengaz was last, according to a report in Myanmar Business Today.
US-based watchdog the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NGRI) asked questions intended to identify how much information they provided about their activities, including exploration.
According to the Myanmar Times, the country has 104 oil and gas blocks including 53 onshore and 51 offshore blocks.
A report last month cited an unnamed MOGE official who leaked the news that bidding on the blocks would be announced next year.
Top US officials have previously expressed concerns about corruption within the enterprise.
Patrick Heller, chief of Legal and Economic Programs at NRGI was quoted as saying: “The oil and gas sector is the mainstay of the economy of Myanmar. People expect these firms to support the interests of the people.
“State-owned firms should disclose their plans when they become involved in projects… It is necessary to publicly acknowledge if firms are joint ventures or not.”
And what does MOGE say to that? No comment.
Though a representative did tell Myanmar Business Today that they had opened an enquiry section where the public can ask for information on projects started after 2014.
Photo / Facebook / Myanmar Oil & Gas Enterprise
