Financial Transparency Coalition

Companies often act charitably for reasons of self-interest. Most often they donate to charities for the public-image benefit. The perfect example is Product(Red), which has partnered with major corporations including American Express, Gap, Converse, Starbucks, Apple, Dell and Hallmark. These companies donate a portion of their profits from their sales of RED products to the Global Fund. In return they get a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction for their good deed. Or…they get a lot of good press, which (hopefully, for them at least) translates into a bigger bottom line. In fact, as theories go, the evidence supports the latter...

BRUSSELS - In an open letter addressed to the European Union (EU) president, the EU presidency and the European commission, 50 MEPs from 4 different political parties (S&D, Greens, Gue/Nordic Left and ALDE) call for “a moratorium on EU public financing for mining projects until adequate standards and regulations are in place.”

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange’s listing agreement says:

In addition to the information set out in Appendix 1A, a Mineral Company must include in its listing document……if relevant and material to the Mineral Company’s business operations, information on the following:— (c) compliance with host country laws, regulations and permits, and payments made to host country governments in respect of tax, royalties and other significant payments on a country by country basis;

Note the reference to country-by-country reporting. I stress, the data referred to here is on past performance. There is a separate requiremnt that these payments also be projected.

A complaint over tax payments by a Glencore subsidiary could prompt the Zambian government to undertake an audit of all mining companies to assess how much tax they owe The contrast between the poverty of most people in Zambia and the natural riches of our country was highlighted this week in an incident that is highly embarrassing for one of the companies profiting from our mineral wealth. The company - Swiss commodities giant Glencore - has just announced its intention to launch itself on to the London Stock Exchange. So it will have been less than happy...