‘Guyana’s EITI in trouble’ …mining secrecy, governance chaos stalling transparency drive

May 08, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – While Guyana successfully published its seventh Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report on the final day of 2025, the annual review reveals a programme struggling with deep-seated institutional friction, security fears in the mining sector, and a governance structure that remains partially paralysed.

The 2025 Annual Progress Review paints a picture of an initiative that is technically compliant with reporting deadlines but operationally strained by vacancies and data resistance.

Security Fears and the “Mining Gap”

The most persistent hurdle for the GYEITI Secretariat remains the mining sector. Despite mining’s massive footprint in the Guyanese interior, stakeholders continue to show a “reluctance” to submit detailed reporting templates.

According to the report, “Mining sector data collection remained constrained, with stakeholders reluctant to submit templates due to security concerns, resulting in aggregated data.”  The report notes that many operators cite security concerns as a reason for withholding specific financial data. As a result, much of the mining data for 2025 remains aggregated, preventing the kind of granular transparency required to fully map revenues from gold and other minerals. This lack of detailed disclosure continues to be a “red flag” for international observers tracking the industry’s supply chain integrity.

Governance in Gridlock

The reconstitution of the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG), the body that oversees the EITI process, has been mired in controversy. In August 2025, a new board was installed, but the process was immediately challenged by major civil society groups. Concerns over the selection process led to a mediator-led intervention in late 2025. While five new civil society members were eventually selected in November, groups like Policy Forum Guyana (PFG) and the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) boycotted the proceedings. As of December 31, 2025, full civil society membership had still not been achieved. These vacancies have forced existing members to double up on committees, slowing down critical work on legal and communication reforms.

“In October 2025, a new convenor was appointed following a widely publicized recruitment process. During the civic caucusing in November 2025, participants agreed on rules and guidelines for the selection of new members. Five new civil society members were selected, namely:

• Mr. Balraj Budwah (Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha)
• Mr. Derrick John (National Toshaos Council)
• Mr. Shane Cornelius (National Toshaos Council)
• Ms. Madhavi Indarjeet (Guyana Youth Environment Network)
• Mr. Aslim Singh (Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union)

However, PFG and GHRA boycotted the selection process, and by 31 December 2025, the full civil society membership had not been appointed. This affected the functioning of certain committees, including Communications and Legal and Regulatory, as members were required to serve on multiple committees,” the report stated.

The Unfinished Business of 2025

Several high-priority transparency projects have hit significant roadblocks such as efforts to unmask the true owners of extractive companies were effectively put on “hold” due to a lack of technical staff, “However, due to capacity constraints within the Secretariat, including insufficient technical staff, BO data collection and follow-up was temporarily put on hold to prioritize higher-demand tasks, including, completion of validation templates; and support for the Independent Administrator’s FY 2023 report.”

The report stated too that the “Implementation of the BO recommendations remains essential for compliance with the 2023 EITI Standard, and the preparatory steps in 2025 ensured that the Secretariat was ready to resume BO data collection once resources were available.”

While a roadmap exists, the actual verification of owner data has been sidelined to prioritize basic reporting. The initiative continues to be haunted by a “Fairly Low” international score of 52/100 from its 2021 Validation. Progress on the 14 corrective actions required to fix this score has been hampered by audit backlogs in state entities, forcing the use of “interim” data measures rather than finalized, audited figures. The Secretariat, currently supported by World Bank-funded consultants, admitted that it lacks the specialized technical staff needed to move beyond clerical functions and into deep data analysis.

Despite these “institutional bottlenecks,” the GYEITI did manage to expand its digital footprint. The launch of a new Facebook page in early 2025 and a series of “EITI Clubs” in Georgetown secondary schools represent a move toward building a “transparency culture” among the youth, “From January 28, 2025, the Secretariat conducted a series of student engagement sessions across several secondary schools in Georgetown, including Christ Church Secondary School, Cyril Potter College of Education, Saint Stanislaus College, North Ruimveldt Multilateral School, St. Rose’s High School, The Bishops’ High School, Queen’s College, President’s College, and St. Joseph High School.”

Furthermore, systematic disclosures saw modest wins with the Guyana Gold Board and EPA improving the online availability of permits and payment records. However, with the next major international validation exercise looming in early 2026, the GYEITI remains in a race against time to bridge its data gaps and resolve its internal leadership disputes.

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• EITI report, GYEITI, mining secrecy, transparency drive

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