07:01 AM EDT, 04/28/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Barrick Gold's (GOLD) several subcontractors at its Loulo-Gounkoto complex in Mali are laying off hundreds of employees as a two-year dispute between the company and the Malian government drags on, Reuters reported Monday, citing documents and unnamed sources.

Operations at the site have been suspended since January after authorities seized around three metric tons of gold, alleging unpaid taxes. Malian officials also shuttered Barrick's office in Bamako last week, the report said.

Subcontractors have laid off staff, suspended operations, or declared plans for liquidation, with some alleging they have not been paid by Barrick for months, according to the report.

The company signed an agreement to resolve the dispute in February, but the Malian government has yet to approve or execute it, Reuters reported.

Barrick did not immediately respond to request for comment from MT Newswires.

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