Barrick considering pulling out

The giant mining firm Barrick Gold Tanzania has said it is considering halting its operations in the country. Barrick Vice President, Africa Region, Gareth Taylor told this paper in an interview yesterday, shortly after he attended a workshop to launch the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) held in Dar es Salaam, a global mining `watchdog`. During the interview with selected media, Taylor said the mining firm had for several years recorded declining profits. He did not give figures, only stating: ``We are now thinking about our future operations in the country. This is due to the fact that the company has for several years not recorded profits. As a business company, this is a critical position where we are required to think about our future,`` he said. He said the widely exaggerated criticism that the mining firm was enriching itself through exploiting the mineral wealth of the country at the expense of its poor people was not true as the company paid all levies and taxes and that it operated in an open and transparent manner. ``All criticisms being levelled at us are not true. They are just unfounded claims which intend to tarnish the good image of our company. We are operating under rules and regulations stipulated in the mining laws and not otherwise,`` said Taylor.