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Financial journalists train on extractive industries



By: Fred Yaw Sarpong

Institute of Finance and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) in partnership with GIZ is training over 40 financial journalists on extractive industries at Mac-Dic Hotel at Koforidua in the Eastern region of Ghana.
The 5-day training program, which starts on Thursday 15th May, 2014 and ends on Monday 19th May, 2014 at Koforidua is a follow-up programme to first training on introduction to transparency initiatives and analyzing EITI 2013 Report, which to place from April 4th to April 6th, 2014.
While in Koforidua, the participants will be taken through the legal framework on gold, legal framework covering other minerals, mining operations in Ghana, introduction to EITI implementation – GHEITI, analysis of 2011 GHEITI report  on mining, and analysis of 2011 GHEITI report  on oil and gas. Also, the participants will paid a courtesy call on Daasebre Oti Boateng, the Head of New Juaben Traditional Area.
The resource persons are drawn from civil society and as well as mining sector.
According to the organisers of the programme, ccollaboration with IFEJ seeks to deepen media coverage on resource governance issues in both print and electronic forms.
‘A quick scan has shown that the media’s involvement in strengthening accountability in this sector is rather weak as most of the coverage either cover illegal small scale mining task force related activities or industry threats to lay off its local workers,’ the organizers.
‘Media, as institutions with oversight responsibility, a deeper engagement on the issues will complement the work of Parliament and other relevant institution while at the same time engaging the public in a wider discourse. The collaboration also seeks to bring media and Parliament together working in concert to strengthen accountability,’ said organizers.
Daily Express gathered that the overarching objective is to provide platforms to discuss a coherent program for implementing the cooperation. The workshops are also intended to equip the media professionals with the necessary expertise to assume the crucial role as an enabler and guarantor of good governance in the sector.
It is expected that significant commitment will be demonstrated by all participating journalists to advocate and ensure increased coverage of issues relating to the sector. 
At the end of the event, it is expected that concerted efforts between media houses and other key stakeholders identified to promote and sustain discussions; media professionals will understand, debate and engage with oil, mining and gas issues would have been enhanced; and play an effective oversight role to complement parliament in their role to enhancing accountability and transparency with regard to the extractive sector governance.





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