Market News

BY Tiemoko Diallo

BAMAKO, June 9 (Reuters) – Gold mining companies operating in Mali paid the state a record 888.5 billion CFA francs ($1.57 billion) in 2025, up 6.4% from 835.1 billion CFA francs the year before, as record gold prices offset lower output, mines ministry data reviewed by Reuters showed.

• Mali hosts more than 15 industrial mining companies owned by multinational groups.
• They include Barrick Gold, B2GOLD, Resolute Mining, Endeavour Mining and Hummingbird Resources.
• According to the ministry’s data, taxes accounted for 66.1% of the sector’s contribution in 2025 and customs duties represented 10.5%.
• A further 23.3% came from state revenue classified as “domaines”, consisting mainly of dividends paid to the government as a shareholder in mining companies.
• The ministry did not comment officially on the reasons behind the increase in revenue.
• A senior ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the press, said record-high gold prices in 2025 had offset losses linked to lower production.
• Mali’s industrial gold production fell by 23% in 2025 to 42.2 metric tons from 54.8 tons in 2024, mainly due to the suspension of Barrick Gold’s operations for more than six months over a dispute with the government.

($1 = 566.0000 CFA francs)