A report by the World Bank published in April on a unique project to encourage tax transparency in the artisanal mining sector has recommended further expansion of the iTSCi Programme in Burundi. The work was carried out by Pact Inc and was performed in co-operation with the iTSCi Programme. It helped pilot aspects of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and for the World Bank to gain an in-depth understanding of the socioeconomic factors surrounding trade in the artisanal and small scale mining sector in Burundi.
The report recommends that the Burundian government maintains its partnership with iTSCi with a view to expanding the system across all 3T sites in the country as quickly as possible. Other recommendations include promoting investment through improved business stimulants, competitive pricing both locally and regionally, and for iTSCi and EITI to work together to address the issue of discrepancies in tax regimen.
The iTSCi Programme works across Central Africa to establish traceability and due diligence for 3T minerals through independent monitoring on the ground and regular audits in the upstream mineral chain. The research for this report would not have been possible without the data gained from these systems set up by the iTSCi Programme.