Contracts for 5 newly-discovered mines in Ghazni signed

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Contracts for five out of 15 newly-discovered mines in southern Ghazni province have been signed with companies after a competitive bidding process, local officials said on Monday.

Maulavi Hazrat Yousuf Sohaib, the provincial Mines and Petroleum department head, told Pajhwok Afghan News these mines were located in Nawar, Malistan, Jaghori, Muqur and Qara Bagh districts.

The winning companies will extract travertine, granite, marble, gypsum and lime from these mines, Sohaib said.

The government received about 20 million afghanis revenue from contracts of 18 mines last year, showing a three-fold increase over the previous year, Sohaid added.

Totally 15 mines were discovered this year in Ghazni province and contracts for extraction of five mines have been signed with companies.

He said: “Each contractor has invested up-to 200,000 dollars and provided jobs to hundreds.”

He added some Chinese companies had won bids for Nawar lithium and Muqur gold mines and the companies would launch practical extraction works after inking contracts.

According to Sohaib, the Islamic Emirate (IE) is trying to strengthen the country economically by increasing income from mining sector, which will simultaneously increase employment opportunities.

He said the government as the public demanded, had prevented illegal mining in the country.

The bidding process of some other small mines is also underway. Sohaib urged national businessmen to invest in mining sector to improve the country’s economic situation.

Sayed Hassan Ahamadi, director of a mining company, told Pajhwok he had invested about $200,000 in a travertine stone mine and expected the extraction of 4,500 metric tons of travertine stone in the upcoming ten years.

Residents of the province are happy about extraction of minerals as they believe Afghanistan can reach economic self-sufficiency and thousands of laborers will be provided with employment opportunities

Similarly, Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, a representative of Ghazni in the previous parliament, called awarding of mining contracts in the province a good step and added that if mines were extracted in a proper and legal manner, there will be jobs for the youth and the national income will increase.

aw/ma

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