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Despite ranking third among Africa's largest gold producers, economically nothing much is changing in Mali which remains the poorest country in the world, according to International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) report, which paints a bleak picture of gold mining companies' activities in the West African state.

"Mali is the third largest gold producer in Africa, but harvests only dust," asserted the report, Gold Mining and Human Rights in Mali.

However, executives from AngloGold Ashanti and Randgold Resource--two of the four major gold producers, including Resolute Resources and IAMGold, operating in the country-- were maintaining clean faces after the report alleged that, under a World Bank-supported scheme, mining companies enjoyed large tax breaks, which are "depriving the State of the resources that could have been obtained from this economic activity".

"Our Sadiola mine has been paying company tax since 2001 and to date has paid more than US$305 million in taxes and duties to the Malian government, which has also earned US$53 million in dividends as an 18% shareholder of Sadiola," AngloGold Ashanti Executive Officer of Corporate Affairs Steve Lenahan told Mineweb. "Since its inception Sadiola has also paid US$ 31 million in local salaries and wages, conducted business with Malian companies to the value of US$281 million and spent US$20 million on community infrastructure and social development projects."

Besides holding a 38% stake in Sadiola, AngloGold Ashanti also manages the mine. IAMGold holds 38%, while the rest of the equity is shared between the government and the IFC. AngloGold Ashanti also operates the Yatela and Morila joint ventures in the country.

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