Badakhshan gold, Balkhab copper mines contracts signed

KABUL (Pajhwok): The contracts of extracting Badakhshan gold mine and Balkhab copper mine have been signed in Washington, Afghanistan embassy in Washington said Saturday.

A statement from Afghanistan embassy in Washington, received by Pajhwok Afghan News said the contracts were signed between the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) and Central Limited Company in the embassy on Friday.

The source said that Fazal Rahman Fazalyar, counselor of the Afghanistan embassy, said signing the contracts was an important step about investing in Afghanistan.

Madina Qasimi, Afghanistan Charge de Affair in Washington, said, “These contracts signed today are very important and it proves the Afghan government’s commitment regarding the private sector,”

She said Afghanistan was moving towards self-sufficiency and the private sector could play an important role in that move.

Acting mines and petroleum minister, Nargis Nehan, talked about transparency in contracts and approval of new laws in her ministry.

She said that partnership between the government and the private sector would help create jobs.

Sayed Sadat Mansour Naderi, a shareholder of Central Ltd and Enhananam, executive chief of the company talked about the importance of foreign trade and development of the private sector.

He said that the contracts signing would attract more investors for investment in Afghanistan.

Pajhwok findings show that there are many conflicts of interests in these contracts. Afghanistan mines oversight associations dubbed the Badakhshan gold and Balkhab copper mines contracts ‘an international conspiracy about Afghanistan mines’.

Article 16, clause two of the mining law says the president, his deputies, ministers, head and members of the Supreme Court, Attorney General Office, members of the parliament, heads and members of the independent commissions and their relatives could not obtain permission for the license under this law.

Also article 16, clause five of the mining law explains the above individuals could only get the mining license after five years of leaving their job.

The two contracts are clearly in conflict with article 16 of the mining law. Afzali said the president and his aides had clearly violated the mining law.

He claimed some government officials, including Presidential Advisor AjmalAhmadi, had facilitated the signing of the contracts and even attempted to change the law so that President Ashraf Ghani may not Naderi’s vote bank.

Pajhwok strived to get the view point of Ajmal Ahmadi in this regard, but could not succeed.

 “The government often talks about transparency, but the biggest mining contract are being inked in violation of the law, this is an alarming and dangerous for the future of mining sector in the country.”

Yaseen Setez, member of the Environment and Natural Resource Monitoring Network (ENRMN), said government officials were committing ‘a legal burglary’ by signing the contracts, which he said should be prevented.

Mds/nh