Publish What You Paid (PYUP), Liberia, launched in August, 2006, with a focus on a wide range of issues, particularly support to the implementation of the EITI and dissemination of data from EITI reports, is seemingly dormant.

The role of PWYP is to adequately inform and educate the public about gains and challenges in the extractive industry.

As it stands, the PWYP is yet to enforce its statutory mandate apparently due to limited manpower, lack of technical knowledge and innovation to gather the requisite data for public consumption, while local residents have become victims of either illicit mining resulting into environmental degradation and destruction of   farmlands across the Country.  

Initially, the Coalition played a pivotal role in helping to make the reports accessible to the citizenry, while at the same time supporting local communities to benefit from the Country’s natural resources and not suffer the harmful effects from extraction.

Unfortunately, the ineffectiveness of the PWYP has exposed the citizens to more harm. Currently, campaigns to promote the concerns of local people affected by extraction. The campaigns are also meant to increase communities’ decision-making power over how extractive projects in their localities are managed as class “A & B” mining by the Chinese is on the increase. The PWYP Liberia to role monitor the impact of extractive projects on local communities is not felt. 

Similarly, the PWYP is not carrying on its role to train journalists in writing accurately about natural resource issues.

PWYP Liberia should have undertaken a gender scan of the Coalition, explore opportunities to ensure more meaningful participation and representation of  women in the Coalition’s programs, institutional structure, as well as greater engagement with women’s rights organizations.