regulatory regimes and there is no guarantee that the Company can secure an alternate source of water in the event of a future prolonged drought.
The Company’s predecessor temporarily suspended operations in October 2018 due to continued regional drought conditions however operations were restarted in late November 2018 once the water storage facilities at the RDM Mine had sufficient volumes to support the restart and continued operations.
Equinox Gold’s mineral properties in Brazil operate in an emerging market and are subject to political, economic, social and geographic risks of doing business in Brazil
The Company’s mining and development properties in Brazil expose the Company to the socioeconomic conditions as well as to the laws governing the mining industry. Inherent risks with conducting foreign operations include, but are not limited to: high rates of inflation, changes in monetary and exchange policies, changes in interest rates, decreased liquidity in the domestic capital and lending markets, energy shortages, military repression, war or civil war, social and labour unrest, organized crime, hostage taking, terrorism, violent crime, extreme fluctuations in currency exchange rates, expropriation and nationalization, renegotiation or nullification of existing concessions, licenses, permits and contracts, illegal mining, changes in taxation policies, restrictions on foreign exchange and repatriation and changing political norms, currency controls and governmental regulations that favour or require the Company to award contracts in, employ citizens of, or purchase supplies from, a particular jurisdiction.
Failure to comply strictly with applicable laws, regulations and local practices relating to mineral right applications and tenure could result in loss, reduction or expropriation of entitlements, or the imposition of additional local or foreign parties as joint venture partners with carried or other interests. In addition, changes in government laws and regulations, including taxation, royalties, the repatriation of profits, restrictions on production, export controls, changes in taxation policies, environmental and ecological compliance, expropriation of property and shifts in the political stability of the country, could adversely affect the Company’s exploration, development and production initiatives in Brazil.
The Brazilian government frequently intervenes in the Brazilian economy and occasionally makes significant changes in policies and regulations. Changes, if any, in mining or investment policies or shifts in political attitude in Brazil or any of the jurisdictions in which the Company operates may adversely affect the Company’s operations or profitability. Operations may be affected in varying degrees by government regulations with respect to, but not limited to, restrictions on production, price controls, export controls, currency remittance, importation of parts and supplies, income and other taxes, expropriation of property, foreign investment, maintenance of claims, environmental legislation, land use, land claims of local people, water use and mine safety.
Uncertainty over whether the Brazilian government will implement changes in policy or regulation may contribute to economic uncertainty in Brazil. Historically, Brazilian politics have affected the performance of the Brazilian economy. Past political crises have affected the confidence of investors and the public, generally resulting in an economic slowdown.
Global economic crises could negatively affect investor confidence in emerging markets or the economies of the principal countries in Latin America, including Brazil. Such events could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
The occurrence of these various factors and uncertainties cannot be accurately predicted and could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial position.
Inflation in Brazil, along with Brazilian governmental measures to combat inflation, may have a significant negative effect on the Brazilian economy and, as a result, on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
In the past, high levels of inflation have adversely affected the economies and financial markets of Brazil, and the ability of its government to create conditions that stimulate or maintain economic growth. Moreover, governmental measures to curb inflation and speculation about possible future governmental measures have contributed to the negative economic impact of inflation in Brazil and have created general economic uncertainty. As part of these
- 148 -