A new mining law in Mali that raises taxes and seeks to hand over big stakes in assets to the state and local investors will need to be loosened up if gold companies are to invest in new projects there,

Barrick Gold Corp. Chief Executive Officer Mark Bristow said the company is “making progress” in its dispute with Mali’s military regime, but the advances haven’t come as fast as expected.

Mali's new new mining law that raises taxes and seeks to hand over large stakes in assets to the state must be reviewed before gold companies invest in new projects there.

Mali's government and Barrick Gold are set for negotiations to resolve a dispute over claimed unpaid taxes and the seizure of gold. The new mining code and hefty tax demands are at the heart of the issue.

Barrick Gold CEO Mark Bristow said the company is “making progress” in its dispute with Mali’s military regime, but the advances haven’t come as fast as expected. The Canadian company last month suspended operations at the vast Loulo-Gounkoto complex in Mali after the government started removing gold from the nation’s biggest mine in the latest escalation of a months-long dispute.