About Us

Instead, white-collar criminals work from within a company or government agency, dealing in information and tip-offs to thieves, hiding the money trail, obscuring ownership, and buying off corrupt officials. Left unchecked, their illegal acts become complex webs of bribery and corruption.

Here in T&T we have major corruption cases even now. We have the dubious distinction of being mentioned in both the Panama Papers and the Paradise Papers.

In the extractive industry, there are examples worldwide. From Mexican oil and gas theft enabled by company insiders, to fraudulent gold trade in Central Africa, stories of corruption and criminal activity in oil, gas, and mining have been exposed.

In most cases, law enforcement is either overwhelmed or looks the other way, and when they do prosecute, convictions are rare. In the end, money that would have gone into government coffers to be used for the public good gets siphoned off by criminals.

It’s wrong that the citizens of a resource-rich country see no benefit from those resources while businesses, already-wealthy individuals, and corrupt officials line their pockets. Without transparency and accountability, the door is left open to corruption and financial crime, and that’s what has happened for far too long in many countries.

And it can happen here.

Yet this is not to say that all extractive companies are engaged in white-collar crime. Many companies that operate here have signed on to follow EITI guidelines. BP Trinidad and Tobago, Shell, National Gas Company, Heritage Petroleum, Lease Operators Limited and Hermitage Limestone Limited are among those who have demonstrated a commitment to operating ethically in the interest of all stakeholders, including the public.

This is an excellent start but it is only the beginning of a long journey to complete transparency and financial openness from those companies that harvest our resources.

What’s going to stop criminal activity in the extractive industry?

Transparency. Information. Data.

The only thing that ends corruption is bringing it to light or preventing it before it starts. We shine a light on where the money comes from and where it goes. We find out who owns what. We follow the money trail, from extraction to company profits to government revenues, and we share that data with you.

If extractive companies want to do business in our country, they must sign on to a process of transparency about their ownership and fiscal management.

What we do and our relationship to the EITI

We are a member of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international body that is the global standard for the good governance of oil, gas and mineral resources. With 53 member countries, its core belief is that natural resources belong to citizens. EITI provides the standard by which member countries report: a common set of rules governing what has to be disclosed and when.

As a member of EITI, the Trinidad and Tobago Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TTEITI) follows guidelines that reveal and explain the financial records of extractive companies so that the money trail is visible and the people in our country get the benefits of our resources.

Anti-corruption advocates and champions of the public good

We are advocates for anti-corruption. We are not an enforcement body, but use research and reports to inform stakeholders and improve governance.

We work for the public good to reveal and explain industry ownership, contracts, extraction data, and financial information so that those elements are understandable by all stakeholders, including the general public. Through the press, social media, town hall meetings, workshops, and school tours we provide information that citizens need to contribute to the decision-making process.

What we require from companies and government

Open ownership

We require companies to make their ultimate beneficial owners known. We ask for comprehensive disclosure of company payments and government revenues.

Open budgets, contract transparency, and open data

Can we prove that oil, gas and mining companies paid government what they said they paid? Does government actually receive what they claim to receive? An Independent Auditor audits receipts and payments every financial year to help us answer these questions.

We report on which extractive sector revenues are recorded in the national budget, how the money is managed and which projects it funds. This helps inform public debate and empowers stakeholders.

When the public has a say and all perspectives are heard, it’s more likely that better solutions will be found. Participatory budgeting allows public money to be spent with input from community residents.

Our Secretariat and Steering Committee

Various stakeholders from civil society, extractive sector companies and the government collaborate to ensure that the country’s natural resources are used to the benefit of all citizens.

In addition to the TTEITI Secretariat introduced here, there is also a 30-member Steering Committee which functions like a board of directors.

TTEITI Validation Documents

The EITI Standard is the global gold standard for transparency and accountability in countries rich in extractive sector resources. The Validation assessment outlines how well countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, have implemented the Standard. The assessment focuses on on stakeholder engagement, availability of key data on revenue, and steps a country takes to measure EITI outcomes and impacts.