Mining Ministry’s Revenue Rises 6 Times

KABUL, Apr. 03 – Officials from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced Sunday that its revenues have increased more than six times.

According to officials, the revenue of the ministry totalled 17 billion AFN this year, while it was 2.5 billion AFN last year.

Identifying and surveying new mines, attracting domestic and foreign investment, calling for tenders for the extraction of dozens of small and large mines and creating a processing system inside the country are among the tasks that the ministry intends to perform this year.

Officials also hoped that copper mining at Mes Aynak in Logar will start this year and that there will be progress in the implementation of TAPI project.

“The work on the pipeline between Turghundi and Guzereh district of Herat is going on. Work on the land acquisition and budget is ongoing. There is no problem in this regard,” Zia al-Rahman Aryobi, deputy minister of mines and petroleum for planning and policy, said in a press conference.

Nangarhar marble and talc, Herat iron and steel, Kandahar Shurandam cement, Herat marble and granite, Takhar gold, Sar-e-pul Qashqari oil, Shaberghan pipeline to Mazar-e-Sharif and Sarpol coal are projects that are ongoing.

The ministry has increased its efforts to attract domestic and foreign investments, and some foreign investors from several countries have announced readiness to invest in Afghanistan’s mines.

“We have more coal mining in Baghlan, Takhar, Sar-e-pul and Samangan. Among these, Samangan is a province where mining is more [prevalent] compared to other provinces. Thousands of citizens are working there,” Mohammad Rasool Oqab, head of the revenue department of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said.