The Department of Customs (DGA) reported yesterday, Monday 18 March that the Barrick Pueblo Viejo mining company has to pay the Dominican state the sum of RD$952 million in order to ship a load of dore that the customs agency has been holding since Wednesday, 13 March. The DGA director general, Fernando Fernandez, has also ordered a detailed review of the other 19 shipments carried out by the Canadian company via the cargo terminal at Las Americas International Airport (AILA). The Customs administrator at AILA, Wilson Acosta, reported that after going through the physical inspection yesterday, the authorities established that there were errors in the customs declaration by Barrick Gold, which is mining metal deposits at Pueblo Viejo, in Cotui.
Acosta said that as the mining company stated that the value of the detained shipment is US$11.6 million and that the company will be fined double this amount, US$23.2 million or in pesos, RD$952 million. The official also stated that besides the payment of the fine, the final decision on the detained shipment of gold and silver (dore) is in the hands of the Director of Customs. William Acosta says that in the application of the double fine and the retention of the shipment, Customs is backed by Article 202 of Law 3489, which regulates the Customs Regime in this country. Acosta added that the customs authorities have proved that Barrick had also incurred in the bad declaration of origin of the shipment of gold and silver that the shipment was coming originating from the United States. “But also, the mining company presented another declaration where it says that this was dore when it is gold and silver,” said the customs official.
Despite the press statements above, it was revealed on Tuesday, 19 March that the government had authorized the shipment, despite the verification of the contents not being made public and without the fine having been paid, as is customary when the DGA imposes fines on exports for irregularities in the declaration.
A news story filed by Manuel Jimenez of Reuters carries a statement by Barrick that the shipment of gold from its Pueblo Viejo mine had been delayed by Dominican customs officials “after an error in the customs declaration system resulted in the shipment being mislabeled as coming from the United States.”
www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/barrick-gold-released-by-dominican-republic/article9931919/