Pour comprendre l’importance de l’ITIE dans l’architecture institutionnelle et de gouvernance du pays, il faut jeter un regard rétrospectif sur la situation qui a prévalu avant l’adhésion du pays à cette initiative en 2013 : absence de données fiables sur la production, les exportations, les revenus du secteur extractif et leur contribution au budget de l’Etat, cloisonnement des administrations qui empêchait un suivi coordonné par les différentes administrations, faiblesse des systèmes d’information des administrations en charge du secteur extractif, et absence d’information pour la société civile, l’Assemblée nationale et les corps de contrôle; environnement hautement spéculatif basé sur des conjectures et des suspicions qui minaient l’environnement des affaires, etc. L’adhésion du Sénégal à la Norme ITIE dans ce contexte, a permis au pays d’évaluer ses textes et sa pratique à l’aune des bonnes pratiques internationales, offrant une opportunité de benchmark avec plus de cinquante (50) pays. Après dix (10) ans de mise en œuvre de l’ITIE et en dépit des efforts de mainstreaming, l’ITIE reste la première source d’information de qualité sur le secteur extractif (paiement des entreprises, données de production et exportations, déclaration des régies financières, statistiques sur l’emploi et les transactions avec les fournisseurs, contribution au PIB, etc.) ; ce qui permet de renforcer le débat public. Par conséquent, un certain nombre d’acquis sont perceptibles :
- Involvement of stakeholders at the highest level (public authorities, civil society and private sector) ;
- Reducing information asymmetry in the extractive sector ;
- Public access to reliable and comprehensive information on the entire value chain of the extractive sector through published annual reports;
- Substantial improvement of information systems in the mining, oil and gas sectors, and at the level of financial authorities;
- Mobilisation of extractive revenues and their effective inclusion in the State budget;
- Two successful validations with satisfactory progress in 2018 and a very high score in 2021;
- Initiation of several legal reforms in the extractive sector (beneficial ownership, mining taxation, equalisation and support funds for local authorities, local content, etc.);
- Establishment of a register of beneficial owners of extractive companies ;
- Reconnaissance internationale matérialisée par la tenue à Dakar de la première conférence mondiale de l’ITIE en Afrique à l’occasion du 20th anniversary of the international EITI in 2023. However, given its cross-cutting position and the central role of data in the planning and monitoring of public policies, Senegal could gain much more from this fine institution, the EITI, whose inestimable value is matched only by its contribution to the governance of the mining, oil and gas sectors, and even to the steering of the country's economic policy. To realise its full potential, the EITI must not confine itself to producing reports designed to meet the requirements of the Standard. Similarly, it should not continue to be the subject of debate on the extractive sector in the face of an increasingly demanding public and a committed press. It can play an advisory role for the State in the contract review process; strengthen the analysis of global EITI requirements (declaration of beneficial owners, disclosure of costs and reserves, analysis of budgetary scenarios, etc.In addition to broadening the scope of reporting companies and entities, the EITI can also provide a framework for dialogue with government departments, enabling investors to voice their concerns.
This would only be possible if the new authorities were to consider the following measures:
- Transform the EITI structure into an independent administrative authority with an obligation to submit detailed and timely reports on the evolution of the dynamics of the oil, gas and mining sectors;
- Institutionalise the EITI as an advisory body and a key partner for ministries (mining, finance, environment) in assessing public extractive policies;
- Promoting partnerships with the National Assembly, the research community and centres of excellence to innovate and test pilot projects involving communities;
- Use the resources offered by the EITI mechanism to serve the new strategic vision of the extractive sector, geared towards maximising socio-economic benefits at both national and regional levels;
- Extend the scope and impact of the data collected by incorporating predictive analysis mechanisms to anticipate trends in the sector (e.g. revenue flows or infrastructure needs). This could be done through partnerships with research institutions, such as ANSD;
- Using the EITI to capture added value and promote sustainable development.