In a Victory for the Oil Industry, Congress Makes it Easier to Pay Bribes for Drilling Rights

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In The Media

In a Victory for the Oil Industry, Congress Makes it Easier to Pay Bribes for Drilling Rights

Congressional repeal of a law that demanded disclosure by extractive industries for payments to foreign governments is viewed as a victory for oil and gas. It may also be a step towards kleptocracy.

By Sarah Chayes

Published on Feb 3, 2017

Source: Public Radio International

Extractive industries have argued that reporting requirements have burdened their company. However, explained Carnegie’s Sarah Chayes on Public Radio International, these are rules that are a widespread international practice. Arguments against the rules reflect an obsession with secrecy that is widely held throughout much of the extractives industry, and held personally by Secretary of State Tillerson, Chayes said. She argued that moderating a government which debilitates regulation to promote its own interests demands a grassroots response that bridges party lines.

This interview was originally broadcast by Public Radio International.

About the Author

Sarah Chayes

Former Senior Fellow, Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program

Sarah Chayes is internationally recognized for her innovative thinking on corruption and its implications. Her work explores how severe corruption can help prompt such crises as terrorism, revolutions and their violent aftermaths, and environmental degradation.

Recent Work

Commentary
China Financial Markets test
- Sarah Chayes
Paper
Fighting the Hydra: Lessons From Worldwide Protests Against Corruption
- Sarah Chayes

Political Reform Democracy Climate Change Global Governance North America United States

Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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