December 21, 2024
Malawi and Mali Demand Unpaid Taxes and Royalties from Multinationals
BBC news recently reported that the governments of Malawi and Mali are demanding hundreds of billions of dollars from U.S.- and Australia-based multinationals to compensate for unpaid taxes and royalties over the past 10 years. Charles Gitonga and Andre Lombard report that the Malawi government has accused Colombia Gem House, U.S.-based gemstone company, of not paying fairly for rubies exported over the last 10 years. The government is also demanding $4 billion from French gas giant TotalEnergies in unpaid revenue from an oil storage deal, and $9.5 million from Turkish tobacco firm Star Agritech, said Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda. Over the past few weeks, Mali’s military junta has issued an international arrest warrant for Canadian mining firm Barrick Gold’s chief executive officer, alleging the company owes the West African state $500 million.
While these demands are allegations not yet decided by courts, the demands reflect a growing discontent with the widespread “looting of Africa” that has been well documented by many investigators and authors over the past several decades. Books by Tom Burgis “The Looting Machine” and Patrick Bond “Looting Africa” describe how this looting process has long been systemic, and represents an enormous theft of resources from the Global South.
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