Ms. Kathy du Plessis reports

PUEBLO VIEJO PAYS ANOTHER $185 MILLION IN TAXES, BRINGING ITS TOTAL CASH DISTRIBUTION TO THE DOMINICAN GOVERNMENT TO +$2 BILLION

In the first four months of 2020, Barrick Gold Corp. joint venture Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corp., operator of the Pueblo Viejo gold mine, has paid $185-million (U.S.) (approximately $9,870-million (Dominican pesos)) in direct taxes and $9-million (U.S.) in indirect taxes to the Dominican government. All monetary amounts are in United States dollars unless otherwise stated. These payments include advances of income taxes, net profit interest and royalties on the sales of gold and silver paid in the first quarter of 2020, as well as the final settlement of the 2019 fiscal year.

In an early payment this month to help contribute to the stability of the Dominican economy and aid the country in combating and containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pueblo Viejo paid $113-million (equivalent to $6,120-million (Dominican pesos)) to the internal tax collector (DGII) despite the Dominican government extending its deadline for certain tax declarations. This brings Pueblo Viejo's total tax payments to the government to more than $2-billion (equivalent to $93,776-million (Dominican pesos)) since 2013.

Pueblo Viejo's exports in the first quarter of this year represented 37 per cent of the country's total exports of national goods, with a value of $399-million of a total of $1,081-million.

Pueblo Viejo has been supporting actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in the country and the communities near its operations. To this end, it has committed nearly $1-million (equivalent to $53-million (Dominican pesos)) to various initiatives, including the donation of face masks, latex gloves, gowns, hats and antibacterial gel, delivery of non-perishable food kits to nearby communities, and the donation of 53,000 gallons of ethyl alcohol.

"Our aim is to continue contributing to the social and economic development of the Dominican Republic by applying our sustainability philosophy to create long-term value for all our stakeholders, especially the government and people of the Dominican Republic," said Barrick Pueblo Viejo president Juana Barcelo.

We seek Safe Harbor.