The president of Barrick Gold Corp, Kelvin Dushnisky said he is very positive about talks getting underway with Tanzania to resolve an export ban,
"Given that the discussions are just starting now, and just underway, from our perspective it's too early to go to any conclusion. We just want to see how the discussions continue and we're going in with an open mind and are very positive about it," Dushnisky said.
Acacia, hit with a $190 billion tax bill from Tanzania this week, has warned it will have to close its Bulyanhulu mine by Sept. 30 if the ban is not lifted.
Acacia, 63.9 percent owned by Barrick, is caught up in sweeping changes to Tanzania's mining industry spearheaded by President John Magufuli, who believes the East African country is not getting its fair share of profits from the sector.
Barrick Chairman John Thornton and Tanzania's president agreed at a mid-June meeting to hold discussions to resolve the row.
Any impact will largely depend on the ban's duration, Barrick said Wednesday while reporting better-than-expected quarterly results. Barrick shares rose 3.1 percent to $16.74 in New York trading on Thursday.
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