Santo Domingo.- Justice and Transparency Foundation (FJT) president Trajano Potentini on Monday appealed to the good sense of the mining company Barrick Gold’s executives, as well as to the Dominican officials to review the exploitation contract.

Potentini, despite acknowledging that the contract’s apparent economic and tax advantages, is concerned the benefits may turn to smoke and empty promises, because they are conditioned on whether the company is profitable. “With similar antecedents, to enter into a contract anticipating future profits is at least a mockery against the Dominican people.”

“Independently of the contractors’ good faith and willingness, it’s necessary to anticipate the social and political consequences which the contract has brought about in Monseñor Noel (central province) and the entire country,” he said

In a statement Potentini affirmed that the movement to reject Barrick and its operations demands a serious redraft of the environmental responsibilities and how -via an environmental impact study- to cleanup the pollutants left by the old Rosario Dominicana.

He called the Barrick Gold contract “onerous” and harmful to the national interest.