Value for the
Dominican Republic
We look back and proudly see the fruit of the efforts of hundreds of employees: making Barrick Pueblo Viejo a Place of Value.
We arrived in Sanchez Ramirez in 2008. At that time, the community was known as one with the highest unemployment rate, deplorable environmental conditions, dry riverbeds with a high level of toxic chemicals which harmed the lives of hundreds of people, and deforestation which destroyed the natural state of the area.
We began with a demanding challenge: to turn one of the largest gold mines in the world and the most important in the Americas into a place of value. It has been a task which has involved an investment of more than USD$4.5 million, accounting for the largest foreign investment in the country’s history, as well as an investment in domestic purchases of more than USD$200 million.
Clearly, the most gratifying aspect has been providing hundreds of residents in four municipalities and 57 communities with the possibility of fulfilling the dream of every Dominican: a decent roof over their heads. A place with access to clean water, electricity, sidewalks, streets, and public roads in conditions that can provide a better quality of life for families.
Being a place of value requires years of dedication. In these 15 years of working with the communities, we have been able to transform the negative into positive with a social investment that exceeds 40 million dollars.
Pueblo Viejo has become a place of value thanks to the new opportunities we offer to Dominican women and hundreds of young people, by means of training opportunities thanks to our partnerships with INFOTEP. Farmers in the area are also considered through agro-productive projects. At Barrick, we believe in communities because without them, creating a place of value just isn’t possible.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALLY OF THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS
Empowerment means believing in the potential of others. Therefore, we will not rest until we achieve the empowerment of all communities. And, as a responsible citizen and sensitive to the cause, we work every day in municipal development projects where key needs are targeted, and viable solutions are sought that can respond to all problems endured by the residents.
One example is our electricity project, where we rehabilitated the networks of 19 communities in more than 1,700 homes in Sanchez Ramirez. A feat we'll never forget, because we were able to reduce the electrical poverty rate in different areas of the community.
Also, we have been the respite amidst many challenges. Here, we can highlight our support to hundreds of local entrepreneurs and businesspeople, hiring their services or extending our helping hand amid the pandemic, through our special microloans program, a crucial project to relieve the aftermath of the crisis generated by COVID-19 among the merchants of Sánchez Ramírez.
A place of value is real when its people have opportunities to grow and be heard. That is why Barrick is bridging the gap through internship programs where young, inexperienced people have their first opportunity at a multinational of this level. Today, many of them are part of our workforce with equal conditions and benefits.
Barrick's Benefits to Communities
Has Barrick made real changes in the community?
By Pedro Torres, owner of Constru Zambrana.
Yes, although upon its arrival we were hesitant due to the experiences we’d lived through with the old mining administration, a chapter in our lives that left us with great environmental trauma. However, with Barrick the story has changed, and we’ve witnessed how its projects to address the needs of the community have borne fruit, improving the quality of life of hundreds of residents in Sanchez Ramirez.
Barrick is committed to the community and has proven it by partnering with INFOTEP to train our young, as well as hiring local supplier. Here are businesses that are a before and after thanks to Barrick!
What is the relationship between Barrick and the Community?
By Andrés Leonardo, President of the Fishermen’s Union Association of Hatillo, Cotuí
Since its operational kick-off, Barrick has tried to maintain a constant and open dialogue. The company created a Municipal Development Plan in which local leaders and authorities meet frequently to discuss the community’s needs, and potential solutions. Thanks to this plan, Barrick has ensured donations, created projects for electrical refurbishment, and access to clean water, as well as the construction of sports fields and educational facilities.
Do you consider Barrick a neighborhood ally?
By Mercedes de la Cruz, Administrative Manager of Agropuvi.
Absolutely. Barrick has always shown their support and helping hand to Sanchez Ramirez and its municipalities. Amid the shortages caused by COVID-19, the company donated medical supplies to hospitals, as well as oxygen, masks, and antibacterial gels for the people. They also delivered daily food rations, because many of us had to stay home and stop earning income to support our homes.
THE SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT OF TODAY’S YOUTH
Barrick has trained hundreds of young individuals from Sanchez Ramirez.
Through our internship programs, we offer legal-age youth without work experience the opportunity to learn from experts about mining processes, departmental logistics, heavy vehicle handling techniques, technical skills, as well as the opportunity to join our operations based on their performance during their probationary period.
Youths from Sanchez Ramirez find their first work experience at Barrick.
Our program My First Job breaks social stereotypes, empowers youth, promotes inclusion and equal rights. In addition, 100% of the young participants belong to communities neighboring our operation and have had the opportunity to enter the work world with a multinational company.
Barrick promotes professional technical training in partnership with INFOTEP.
Education represents the future of society, and, at Barrick we know that best practices must always go together with solid knowledge. Proof of this is our strategic partnership with INFOTEP, helping enable access to quality higher education with technical courses in mechanics, electricity, and other technical skills used in our mining operation.
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GROWS THANKS TO EXPORTS
The Dominican Republic holds in its hands riches that attract investors from all over the world. In Pueblo Viejo lies a land with the potential to boost exports and international investment: the fourth largest gold mine in the world.
This mining project leads 37.5% of the total exports of national goods, a value of USD$1.6 MM, which is equivalent to a weighting of 2% of the GDP of the Dominican Republic. In addition, thanks to the gold production which did not stop during the pandemic, the mining sector presented a significant growth of 22% versus previous years, approximately USD$428.05 million, a figure which surpassed the 2020 budget expectations for the State.
Barrick’s benefits are an asset to the national economy!
MINING IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY
Last year was a difficult one for everyone, moreover the State. The health crisis led the country to make large investments in healthcare, so it needed a partner from the main economic sectors to set it on the road to recovery. This is where the Dominican Republic’s friend and ally, Barrick, came into the picture, selflessly answering the government’s public call and placing itself at its complete disposal. At the request of the Government and with hopes to reaffirming its commitment to the country’s development, Barrick Pueblo Viejo arranged for the advance payment of taxes and royalties for 2020-2023. By October 2021, the company had paid USD$522 million in direct and indirect taxes to the State, which amounts to approximately USD$6 billion to the national economy in the form of taxes, royalties, salaries, and payments to local suppliers over the last 9 years of operation.
To Barrick, the Dominican Republic is the perfect place to grow together, so it is essential to be always a pillar of support. That is why, aside from supporting the State, it invested in initiatives to benefit the citizens. This was reflected in a contribution of USD$1,000,000 to face the impact of COVID-19 by donating medical supplies, masks, oxygen, and non-perishable food, as well as the supply of 83,000 gallons of alcohol for sanitization, and 80 tonnes of oxygen to meet the demand of health centers nationwide.