Stakeholders

EITI Governance in Zambia
Zambia has established a multi-stake holders group called the Zambia EITI Council (ZEC). The Council has 15 members appointed by the minister of finance and representing the 3 stakeholders from the Mining Industry (5), Civil Society Organisations (5) and Government Agencies (5). The ZEC is chaired by the Secretary to the Treasury while the Vice Chairperson is elected by members of the council. Currently the Vice Chairperson is the representative from Transparency International Zambia.
The ZEC Meetings take place only when a Quorum is formed by a minimum attendance of two members from each stakeholder group.  The Council is supported by the Zambia EITI Secretariat which has 2 full – time staff members. The Council implements its decisions thorough the EITI Secretariat while actual agreements are signed by the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development because the Council has no legal powers to sign any agreements.

Role of the Stakeholder Council
The ZEC is a multi-stakeholder council comprising equal members from government, mining companies and civil society. Its main duties are to:

• Oversee work of the ZEITI national secretariat;
• Implement the ZEITI agreed workplan
• Establish clear governance mechanisms for council and for wider implementation;
• Raise awareness of importance of ZEITI;
• Decide scope and format of ZEITI implementation and reporting;
• Agree reporting templates for companies and government agencies;
• Select, contract and oversee work of reconcilers on a regular basis;
• Publish, disseminate and promote debate about the ZEITI reconciliation reports in a comprehensible way;
• Select, contract and oversee work of validators;
• Follow-up recommendations of validators (and of reconcilers).

Role of Government in EITI
In general Government provides leadership in the implementation of the EITI but its specific roles include: provision of counterpart funding for EITI implementation, supporting ZEC in EITI implementation and dissemination of information on the EITI process in Zambia. Others are participating in media debates on the implementation of EITI in Zambia and disclosing information on the revenue received by government from mining companies

Role of Civil Society in EITI
Civil Society has an important role to play in the multi stakeholder group. First civil Societies involved in the process must be willing to work together with other multi stakeholders for the successful implementation of EITI in Zambia and participate in creating EITI awareness in Zambia.
As part of their role, they must encourage transparency on the payments and revenue received by mining companies. This is a necessary condition for good governance of mineral resources, the promotion of growth and the reduction of poverty in Zambia.
Besides civil societies must monitor EITI compliance to agreed principles and ensure that revenues and payments in the mining sector are declared transparently so that the public is able to know the benefits from the minerals resources and how they are utilized.

Role of mining Companies in EITI
Mining companies are at the centre of the whole EITI process, one reason for this is that mining as an industrial and economic activity generates revenues that are later paid to government and its agencies. Thus the role of mining companies starts with the consolidation and promotion of partnership with all key stakeholders leading to the promotion of a more transparent business environment that improves governance, reduces corruption and helps to create a culture of accountability in conformity with international best practices.
Mining companies provide a better understanding to the nation about how the mining industry works. They provide revenue and associated data necessary for the EITI Reports with greater transparency in publishing payments made to government and its agencies from Mineral Resource extraction.