The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, March 28, edition that First Quantum is far from the only Canadian mining company to be blindsided by tax demands from developing countries attempting to obtain an increasing share of resource riches, as commodity prices rebound. The Post's Niall McGee writes that earlier this year, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government announced plans to significantly increase royalties and eliminate existing stability agreements that protected mining companies from tax hikes. A number of top mining executives, including Robert Friedland, executive chairman of Ivanhoe Mines, later met with DRC President Joseph Kabila in an attempt to soften his demands, but the tax changes were ushered in regardless. Last summer, the Tanzanian government presented Barrick Gold subsidiary Acacia Mining with an astronomical $190-billion (U.S.) tax bill. In a provisional agreement announced in October, Barrick said it was prepared to grant Tanzania a 16-per-cent interest in Acacia's gold mines in the country and pay it $300-million (U.S.). However, five months on, a final settlement has yet to be reached and Acacia remains subject to a gold-concentrate export ban in Tanzania.