Canada's Barrick Gold remains "fully engaged and committed to reaching a mutually beneficial resolution" of the tax dispute with the Malian government, though there are no major updates on the settlement, Barrick Gold's COO for Africa and the Middle East, Sebastiaan Bock, said in a memo seen by a Western media outlet.
"As a reminder, all non-critical operations remain temporarily paused until further notice," the media quoted Bock as saying in the memo sent to the company's staff.
In February, Barrick Gold reportedly reached a $438 million deal with Mali; however, the agreement is taking some time to be finalized, the report said, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The Canadian company temporarily suspended operations at its Loulo-Gounkoto mining complex in January after the Malian government banned gold exports from the mine and then evacuated three tonnes of gold, which authorities nevertheless said remains Barrick's property.