Islamic Emirate at a Glance

(Part 9)

Summary of the Most Significant Accomplishments of the Islamic Emirate

(2022 – 2023)

By: H.N

Transparency in the Mining Sector

The Islamic Emirate has made significant efforts to promote transparency in the extraction of minerals. This includes drafting laws and regulations for mining extraction, regulations for hydrocarbon laws, the TAPI project land acquisition law, developing 44 procedures and manuals for regulating mining affairs, policies for using domestic production in mining activities, the policy for mineral extraction, and drafting the coal policy, which are major achievements aimed at ensuring transparency and improving mining sector related affairs.

Preventing Illegal Mining Practices

Informal and illegal mining activities have been a major problem in regulating the mining sector in the country, not only negatively impacting the country’s economic growth but also leading to countless disputes. With the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, measures have been taken to prevent illegal mining and smuggling of minerals in the country, and illegal mining has been completely halted due to the diligent efforts of officials and the firmness of the system.

In order to prevent illegal mining, in addition to developing specific strategies and procedures, a committee for the protection of mines and a security unit have been established to ensure the security of mines in various provinces of the country, including Badakhshan, Nangarhar, Sar-e Pol, Panjshir, Bamyan, and Logar.

Furthermore, the establishment of committees for the protection and supervision of mines, with the membership of 9 state organizations in 24 provinces, has been initiated to prevent illegal mining, which has also yielded significant results.

As a result of these efforts, the process of mining has been regulated and managed in a legal manner, and the revenues generated from mining have significantly increased.

In the past year, 17.5 billion Afghanis have been collected from mining revenues, which is a major achievement for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and reflects sound governance and proper management of mining resources in the country.

Legalizing Gold Mining Activities

Gold mining activities were previously carried out illegally and in an unregulated manner in the provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz, and Baghlan. With the return of the Islamic Emirate, efforts have been made to formalize and regulate these activities, and procedures have been put in place to standardize them. As a result of these efforts, 99 gold washing sites have been identified, with permits issued for 73 sites, and applications for 26 other sites are under review.

During the past year, as a result of the formalization of gold mining activities in Takhar province, 130 million and 700 thousand Afghanis in revenues have been collected, providing favorable job opportunities for many people and leading to tangible changes in national and household economies. In addition, 500 gold washing sites have been surveyed and mapped in Badakhshan province.

Precious and Semi-Precious Stones

Precious and semi-precious stones constitute an important part of the mining sector, where thousands of people were informally engaged in the past. The Islamic Emirate has developed and implemented specific procedures to formalize the extraction process of precious and semi-precious stones.

Streamlining Mining License Processes

Issuing licenses for mineral processing was a complex and time-consuming process that posed challenges to the mineral processing industry and the economic growth of the country. With the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate, the complex steps of issuing licenses were simplified. As a result, during the past year, 26 companies were able to obtain licenses for various types of mineral processing activities, including marble, nephrite, talc, construction materials, and other minerals.

Continued…