According to an EITI release, the decision followed a request by the government to extend the reporting deadline set by the EITI Standard. We are hoping that this is a temporary setback,” Rich said, adding that EITI encourages the government to consult all the relevant stakeholders and ensure that they are adequately represented in Liberia’s EITI multi-stakeholders group, in accordance with the EITI Standard.”Although Rich assured that the International Secretariat is ready to support Liberia, it is not clear as to what sort of support can help Liberia in this direction. The EITI Board said the extension requests had not been endorsed by Liberia’s MSG, as the group has not been reconstituted since the end of its term in October 2017. The EITI Board also declined Liberia’s request for an extension of its second validation deadline, noting that the request did not meet the criteria for an extension either. Liberia was one of the first countries to implement the EITI, and the progress it showed over the years was instrumental in the development of the EITI Standard in 2013.

Source: Daily Observer September 11, 2018 02:29 UTC