The Dominican Republic is a country with great investment opportunities, and this project to sustain the mine not only represents the continuity of its lifespan, but also reaffirms our commitment to socio-economic development, and to the communities neighboring the mining operation. This investment represents another step forward in our quest to continue strengthening the country’s economic growth. Mining is one of the five main economic pillars of the country, and Barrick is the company that contributes the most to the sector, hence the largest foreign investment in the history of the Dominican Republic.

Our commitment and focus has always been to contribute to the communities where we operate. Each tailings dam we’ve opened is closed in the appropriate manner to avoid environmental damage; therefore, we rely on a team of experts who remediate the soil with a special material to ensure that the dam, in its restoration, doesn’t form cracks, thus eliminating the possibility of seepage. Likewise, we rigorously oversee the closure process with the reforestation of the organic material to return the construction site to its natural state.

Regarding the new tailings dam, we are working with the relevant authorities to identify the site that meets the technical, environmental, and social criteria, informing the community throughout the process.

As a company, we have always complied with all regulations and laws in the countries where we operate. Since 2017, we have featured the ISO 14001:2004 certification that certifies our compliance with local and international environmental standards.

For us, it is essential to protect the environment and leave the communities where we operate in a better state. Thus, since our arrival in the country more than 15 years ago, we have been committed to restoring local biodiversity, implementing an environmental management plan with high international standards, and adjusted to the country’s environmental regulations, hence allowing us to restore the area’s natural resources.

No, Barrick is a partner of the State by means of a lease agreement for the use of the mining resources available at Pueblo Viejo.

That’s why we work with national agencies, the General Customs Department, the Ministry of Energy and Mines, among others, to ensure due legislative compliance.

The Dominican Republic has never featured a mining culture. Therefore, we need to work together with all social stakeholders to raise awareness of the benefits of mining and its nationwide relevance. As a company, we are committed to working towards eliminating this gap.

Our increased production will be reflected as an increase in state revenues, which is an extension of the socio-economic support we have provided to the Dominican people all these years, especially throughout the pandemic. Therefore, the expansion will bring the State revenues of more than USD$9 billion. Clearly, economic benefits that can be used to build schools, hospitals, infrastructure, and contribute to the basic needs of all communities. The expansion will also require local resources and labor, which will translate into direct and indirect job opportunities for all Dominicans.

This project involves growth at the community level. We will work together with the Community Development Committees (CDCs) in each area to address basic needs, boost businesses, foster the dreams of the young population with our education programs, and offer the tools at our disposal to promote the empowerment of the communities and their residents.