Business
Govt to call for tenders for 68 mines across Afghanistan
Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Thursday that of 108 mines in 23 provinces, the High Economic Council has approved the launch of a tender process for 68 of these mines.
Minister of Mines and Petroleum Haroon Chakhansuri said 800 million AFs will be invested in these mines.
According to Chakhansuri, the annual revenue generation from these mines will be between 150 and 170 million AFs and 3,000 jobs will be created.
“Mines with a high income will be focused on. The mineral extraction process will take place in three parts, first small mines after that mid-size mines and at the end large mines,” stated Chakhansuri.
He also said that they will start work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project by the end of the month but did not provide further details.
Meanwhile, investors said that wide-spread corruption in government and the presence of armed groups are challenges facing the mining industry.
International organizations and the government also said that illegal extraction of minerals from mines is a substantial source of income for armed groups.
“Private sector is willing to invest in mining but the government should pay attention to our demands. We need the mines and have the capacity to extract the minerals,” said Abdul Nasir Reshtia, head of the association of steel factories.
In 2007 the United States Geological Service did a study and discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves.
The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world.
At the time, an internal Pentagon memo, for example, stated that Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries.
However, the industry has not only been dogged by corruption but it is also dominated by warlords and insurgents and largely goes unregulated, and under-developed.
Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk to discuss trade and investment, it was announced on Friday.
Sergey Pavlov, General Director of Russian Railways, and Dmitry Zverev, Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia, were also present in the meeting, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said in a statement.
According to the statement, the two sides discussed increasing the volume of trade, preferential tariff for Afghan goods, Russian investment in mines and water dams in Afghanistan, and Afghanistan’s role in the International North–South Transport Corridor.
They also discussed about reducing the cost of transportation through the Russian railway, removing the export tax on basic materials, arranging the trip of the delegation to the ports of Astrakhan and Makhachkala, and holding a trade connectivity conference and an expo of Afghan products in Moscow.
Azizi met with the Russian deputy PM on the sidelines of the Kazan Forum – the 15th International Economic Forum of Russia and the Islamic World.
He also met with representatives of a number of Tatarstan and Russia companies and encouraged them to invest in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said Thursday acting minister Nooruddin Azizi met with the leader of Russia’s autonomous republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Nurgaliyevich Minnikhanov, on the sidelines of a meeting in Kazan.
According to the ministry, Azizi met with Minnikhanov on the sidelines of the Kazan Forum – the 15th International Economic Forum of Russia and the Islamic World.
The two officials discussed bilateral trade relations, the establishment of the Russian Trade House in Afghanistan, the visit of Minnikhanov to Kabul, investment in electricity production, water transfer, mining, cultural and economic cooperation and other matters.
This annual meeting is held by Russia and the 14th round of this meeting was also held in the same country last year.
The main goal of the forum is to strengthen trade and economic, scientific and technical, social and cultural ties between Russian regions and the countries of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), as well as to promote the development of the Islamic financial system institutions in Russia.
The National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) said on Wednesday that last year, the value of exports totaled $1.79 billion while imports totaled $8.57 billion.
According to NSIA, fruits accounted for the largest share of export items last year, totaling over $645 million.
Medicinal plants, minerals and vegetables were the next top three items respectively to be exported.
Meanwhile, petroleum and oil accounted for the largest portion of imported goods, totaling over $1.37 billion.
Another large portion of the total amount imported went to machinery, vehicles and parts. This totaled over $1.15 billion, followed by textiles, metals and metal products.
Tahawol: Iranian president’s death discussed
Saar: Upcoming UN Doha meeting on Afghanistan discussed
Turkish Airlines to resume flights to Afghanistan from Tuesday
Kabir tells UN official IEA will attend Doha meeting if its ‘position is accepted’
UN’s DiCarlo meets with Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah over Doha meeting
Afghanistan announce T20 World Cup 2024 squad
Rashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador
New Zealand to go ahead with Afghanistan cricket Test
Afghanistan beat Iraq 5-3, inch closer to Futsal World Cup berth
Afghanistan qualify for FIFA Futsal World Cup for first time ever
Tahawol: Iranian president’s death discussed
Saar: Upcoming UN Doha meeting on Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Concerns over spread of floods in the country discussed
Tahawol: Killing of 3 foreign tourists in Bamyan province
Saar: Efforts to solve Afghanistan’s political issue discussed
-
World5 days agoEU adds Russian media outlets to sanctions list despite Kremlin warning
-
Latest News5 days agoTorkham crossing closes temporarily to travelers
-
Sport5 days agoSorkh Poshan Khafi and Sarsabz Yashlar win in ACL matches
-
Latest News4 days agoJapan pledges emergency aid to Afghanistan’s flood victims
-
Business5 days agoAzizi meets with head of Tatarstan on sidelines of Kazan Forum
-
Sport3 days agoT20 World Cup warm-up match schedule released, Afghanistan to face Oman and Scotland
-
Latest News3 days agoGunmen kill three foreigners in Bamyan
-
Sport3 days agoRashid Khan returns home, officially introduced as AWCC’s brand ambassador