The country failed to fulfil all seven requirements under Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), including accounting for the whereabouts of 24bn/- in mineral royalties.
The Energy and Mineral Minister, Mr William Ngeleja, however, said the process was going on well and he was optimistic the country would meet the seven requirements before next March.
"We have made a good progress in those seven areas, in which we failed to comply," Mr Ngeleja told journalists at a news conference on Thursday adding, "the discrepancies was mainly in posting data in accounts," he said.
The minister said the problems was on the way portfolios of different revenue accounts were being posted and reconciliation by the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), the Treasury and mining firms.
For a country to qualify for EITI compliant membership, it must exercise transparency and accountability in revenues that accrue from its resources such as oil, gas and minerals.
Other conditions require that the country passes through what is referred to as the sign up, preparation, disclosure and dissemination stages.
After failing to comply in March, the compliance period was extended and determined in June before it was pushed to March next year during the EITI meeting.
According to Policy Forum, the government could not explain the whereabouts of the missing 24bn/- in minerals revenues. This is excluding the discrepancy in pay as you earn (PAYE) and NSSF.
The Controller and Auditor General (CAG) has also been engaged to audit the report and suggest how to avoid the discrepancies.
The Interfaith Standing Committee member, Archbishop Paul Ruzoka, urged the government to undertake necessary reforms, such as EITI and other mechanisms to enhance accountable governance in the extractive industries.
"These processes (however) must fully include civil society organisations by giving them due notice and providing adequate documentation for effective participation," Archbishop Ruzoka said.
As Tanzania failed to comply in June, six other countries were declared compliant by EITI Board during the meeting held in Paris in March. The countries are the Central African Republic, Kyrgyz, Niger, Nigeria, Norway and Yemen.
The older compliant members include Ghana, Azerbbaijan, Liberia, Mongolia and Timor-Leste.
source:Tanzania Daily News
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