posted on Sep, 9 2012 @ 10:00 PM
Well, I'm among those rather happy to see Barney Franks and Christopher Dodd hitting the retirement trail instead of the campaign trail. However,
their act has left something of a legacy and in this case, perhaps it's not a bad one. Time will tell. Lets see what it means for the Oil Companies,
eh?
Beginning in 2013, oil, gas and mining companies will be required to disclose payments over $100,000 made to foreign governments or the U.S.
government to the SEC.
The new rules were narrowly passed by SEC Commissioners last week and were strongly opposed by the energy industry, which argued the rules will
put U.S.-listed companies at a competitive disadvantage.
Uh Oh... No more hiding the 'incentives' for foreign governments to use U.S Oil companies. Perhaps, it could start a trend! If U.S. companies stop
paying by our laws, why should other Oil companies continue to?
Under the new rules mandated by the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, resource extractors must disclose payments of more than $100,000 "made to
further the commercial development of oil, natural gas, or minerals," according to an SEC press release.
Now we could look at this as a disadvantage by saying U.S. companies can't match the ..ahem..payments..being made by others or we could look at this
in a more hopeful way. The system of dollars for contracts could fall apart when some of the largest players in the market simply don't play
anymore.
The companies will be required to disclose the type and total amount of payments made to each government, the currency used to make the payments,
and the project to which the payments relate.
Source
Now admittedly, a closer read of the story indicates it does still leave some wiggle room, but I'd expect nothing less. Politicians wrote it, after
all. However, it's about time U.S. companies start displaying some of those American values we always claim to have by being up front and at least
half way honest. This gives them someone to blame for their being 'forced' to play at least somewhat above board.
It's no solution, but it's a start! It's all got to start somewhere, eh?