Barrick President and CEO Mark Bristow

The North Mara Gold Mine in Tanzania is an example of Barrick’s sustainability practices in action and serves as a model for how to operate in developing regions. Through real partnerships with the local community and government, we are helping address the longstanding challenges the region faces while ensuring that Barrick’s presence is a positive force fostering a strong community, environment and economy.

Prior to the establishment of Twiga Minerals in 2019, a joint venture between Barrick and the Government of Tanzania, the North Mara and Bulyanhulu mines were rundown and at a standstill due to a dispute between the government and the previous operators. Since then, Barrick has significantly reinvented the mines which together now produce gold as a Tier One complex, and we have addressed the legacy issues, rebuilt trust and have restored the social license to operate as an integral member of the community. Key to this has been the creation of the Community Development Committees (CDCs), whose role is to allocate community investment to projects and initiatives identified and considered most critical by local stakeholders. While we have accomplished a lot in a short time, there is still more work to do.

I have made it a priority to personally visit the North Mara region at least every quarter. Much of my time is spent meeting with many of the local communities and I have built strong personal relationships with the 11 Village Chairpersons. As I speak with and hear from many of the community leaders, it is humbling to understand the importance of North Mara’s economic and societal value to these communities. This is also an opportunity to learn from these communities about their concerns and identify ways of continuing to make progress.

Today, North Mara employs 96% of host nationals with 46% of employees from our local communities. North Mara is truly a national asset, run by Tanzanians for Tanzanians. The Barrick owned mines were recognized as the largest taxpayer in Tanzania in 2021 and 2022 and have contributed almost $3 billion since 2019. Our community investments, through the CDCs, have been directed to major projects to support access to clean water, quality healthcare, education development across all of Tanzania and infrastructure improvement. And we continue to address a number of legacy social and economic challenges in the area, including those related to resettlement, land acquisition and safety.

We see mining as a flywheel for development and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Importantly, we are guided by the principle that our responsible mining will have a positive and transformative impact on global development and uplifting disadvantaged communities. As a company, we focus on four key areas: creating economic benefits, protecting health and safety, respecting human rights, and minimizing environmental impacts. This is particularly important in emerging countries where mining companies are in a unique position to help develop local and national economies and support community resilience.

North Mara has been and remains a key asset for Barrick. We are extremely proud of our progress since 2019, but we recognize that our work is not yet done.

Thank you.
Mark