Emeralds worth around $2.2 million sold in past 4-month

PARAKH (Pajhwok): Emeralds extracted in central Panjsher province worth over $2.2 million sold in eight auctions in the past four months, an official said on Tuesday.

The emerald excavation was banned in Panjsher for two years but last year in August it was resumed and so far eight times the emerald had been sold.

Mohammad Qasim Amir, the provincial Petroleum and Mining Department director, told Pajhwok Afghan News during eighth auction 2,117 Qerat emerald had been sold against $123,400.

Over one hundred businessmen from Panjsher, Parwan, Kabul, Kandahar, Logar, Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces participated.

These emeralds have been extracted from five mines in the Hisa-i-Awal district of Panjshher province.

According to Mohammad Qasim Amir during the eighth auctions emerald worth over $2.2 million had been sold.

As a result he said 10 percent royalty accounted for $219,330 went to the government pocket.

The numbers of emeralds mines in Panjsher are 1,250 out of which extraction work in 350 was underway.

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