Miners challenge push for mandatory transparency laws

What the report says

Mining industry representatives in Uganda are pushing back against calls for a new law that would make transparency reporting mandatory for extractive companies. In remarks reported by The Independent Uganda, Kenneth Asiimwe, chief executive of the Uganda Association of Artisanal and Small-scale Miners (UGAASM), said businesses are more likely to comply with audits and disclosure if transparency brings practical gains such as better financing terms, improved market access or higher mineral prices.

Asiimwe made the case at a forum in Kampala organized by the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment and the Natural Resource Governance Institute. He argued that compliance costs money and that government should consider incentives, including preferential loans through institutions such as the Uganda Development Bank, rather than relying mainly on penalties or new legal requirements. He also pointed to mineral traceability systems like the International Tin Supply Chain Initiative as an example of a non-law mechanism that can support compliance when it has commercial value.

The comments come as the Uganda Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, or UGEITI, is seeking stronger legal backing for its work. The publisher reported that the initiative’s progress reports cite gaps in company disclosure and the absence of direct sanctions for late or incomplete reporting. According to the article, some firms missed deadlines in the most recent reporting cycle, reinforcing UGEITI’s argument that voluntary cooperation alone may not be enough. Asiimwe, however, said government should focus on practical solutions and use mining revenues for broader development priorities.