(Ecofin Agency) - Randgold Resources announced last Friday that it paid in 2016 $173 million to the governments of African countries where it operates, Miningweekly reported.

At the year ended on December 31, 2016, the company paid $161 million to the government of Mali where is located its Morila gold mine as well as its Loulo and Gounkoto projects.

In Cote d’Ivoire where it operates the Tongon mine, it paid $11.7 million in royalties, taxes, dividends, licence fees and infrastructure improvements. As for the government of DR Congo where Randgold has its Kibali mine, it received from the firm $157,944.

In its operational and financial report for 2016, Randgold said it has produced 1.25 million ounces of gold (up 3% compared the previous year) and made $294.2 million of profits (+38%).

The dual-listed (Nasdaq and London) company is the world’s 30th largest market capitalization in the mining industry, according PwC’s latest report.

Louis-Nino Kansoun