By: Reuters

Democratic Republic of Congo's tax authorities sealed the offices of Glencore's GLEN.L Kamoto Copper over a dispute concerning alleged tax liabilities, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

Direction Generale des Impots, the country's national tax authority, shut Kamoto's offices in Kolwezi.

The tax agency alleged that Kamoto owes billions of dollars under the payment dispute, according to the report.

"We dispute the claims by the tax authorities. We continue to engage with the authorities," Glencore said in a statement to Reuters and added that the closing of offices did not impact operations.

The Congo tax authority did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Kamoto Copper Company, Glencore's flagship copper-cobalt mining operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is owned 70% by the miner, while the Congolese government and a state-owned company hold the remaining 30%.

(Reporting by Rishab Shaju in Bengaluru and Clara Denina; Editing by Joyjeet Das)