AMN - TANZANIA: Twiga emerges from new partnership

The Government of Tanzania and Barrick Gold Corporation have reached an agreement to settle all disputes between the government and the mining companies formerly operated by Acacia but now managed by Barrick. The final agreements have been submitted to the Tanzanian Attorney General for review and legalisation.

The terms of the agreement include the payment of $300 million to settle all outstanding tax and other disputes; the lifting of the concentrate export ban; the sharing of future economic benefits from the mines on a 50/50 basis; and the establishment of a unique, Africa-focused international dispute resolution framework.

In conjunction with the finalisation of the agreement, a new operating company called Twiga Minerals Corporation has been formed to manage the Bulyanhulu, North Mara and Buzwagi mines. Twiga is the Swahili word for giraffe, Tanzania’s national symbol.

The government will acquire a free carried shareholding of 16% in each of the mines and will receive its half of the economic benefits from taxes, royalties, clearing fees and participation in all cash distributions made by the mines and Twiga. An annual true-up mechanism will ensure the maintenance of the 50/50 split.

Speaking after a meeting with the chairman of the Negotiating Committee of the Government of Tanzania, Prof Palamagamba Kabudi, Barrick president and chief executive Mark Bristow said the agreements introduced a new era of productive partnership with the government and would ensure that Tanzania and its people would share fully in the value created by the mines they hosted.

It also marked the end of the long impasse between the government and Acacia which had led, among other things, to the closure of North Mara and the freezing of export concentrate from the two other operations.

Barrick took over the management of the mines after its buy-out of the Acacia minorities in September. Since then it has negotiated the re-opening of North Mara and is engaging with the mines’ host communities to restore their social licence.

Bristow said, “Rebuilding these operations after three years of value destruction will require a lot of work, but the progress we’ve already made will be greatly accelerated by this agreement.

"Twiga, which will give the government full visibility of and participation in operating decisions made for and by the mines, represents our new partnership not only in spirit but also in practice.”

He noted that Tanzanian nationals were already being employed and trained to replace expatriate staff as had been done very successfully at Barrick’s other African operations.

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