E-mails highlight friendly relationship between Toronto-based Barrick and the Canadian government, despite human-rights issues that have dogged Barrick’s mining operations in Tanzania for many years
and the federal trade department after a Barrick subsidiary was hit with a disastrous export ban and massive tax claim in Tanzania.
The export ban soon spiralled into a series of allegations against Barrick’s main African subsidiary, Acacia Mining, including accusations from the government that the company was avoiding taxes by underreporting the value of its mineral exports from Tanzania. Another e-mail shows a senior Canadian diplomat telling Tanzania’s Mining Minister the export ban should be lifted because it would allow Barrick to proceed with a promised US$300-million payment to the government. At the same meeting, the diplomat discussed Canada’s foreign aid to Tanzania.
In the letter, Acacia said the ban was inflicting damage on the company and other mining firms in Tanzania, affecting their ability to raise exploration funds. It said Acacia’s share price had dropped by about 20 per cent, equivalent to a US$650-million loss in the company’s stock market value, and it warned Acacia might be forced to start “adjusting the operation of our business.”
Barrick swiftly sought a meeting with senior Canadian trade officials to discuss a strategy for responding. Barrick vice-president Dave Forestell e-mailed a senior policy adviser in the office of the federal Trade Minister, saying Acacia’s stock had now fallen by 40 per cent and Barrick was “quite alarmed.” The dispute had “seriously affected investor confidence,” he said, citing the collapse of talks on a potential US$4-billion merger between Acacia and Endeavour Mining Corp.
In another e-mail on that day, Mr. Forestell said the Canadian high commissioner had provided “very useful suggestions” on the Tanzania dispute. He said the diplomat had advised Barrick to collect evidence to cast doubt on the accuracy of Tanzania’s tax assessment. In a separate e-mail, Canadian officials disclosed they were seeking a meeting with then Tanzanian president John Magufuli “to advocate on Acacia’s behalf.”
In July, 2017, Tanzania announced it was seeking US$190-billion from Acacia in unpaid taxes, penalties and interest. The amount was nearly four times as big as Tanzania’s entire GDP.
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