Over $5b to be invested in 1st phase of copper mine

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Mes Aynak copper mine's contracting company chief says more than five billion US dollars will be spent in the first phase of the project.

Song Win Bing said this at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Maulvi Abdul Kabir here on Tuesday, the Presidential Palace wrote on its X handle.

Bing said as many as 3,000 people would be directly provided with job opportunities on the mega copper project in central Logar province.

He added they had accelerated efforts to launch practical work on the project, in whose first phase more than $5 billion would be invested.

He explained the extraction of copper from mine would commence after the construction of a road to the mine in the upcoming solar year. Necessary machinery will be imported to Afghanistan from China.

For his part, the deputy premier reaffirmed the caretaker government’s readiness to cooperate with the contracting firm in initiating practical work on the scheme.

Kabir assured the firm the relevant entities would resolv their problems.

The contract for mining copper at Mes Aynak had been signed during the administration of ex-president Hamid Karzai in 2007. The mine is estimated to contain more than 11 million tonnes of copper.

About two years ago, 3,100 historical artifacts were found at the site. With work on the mine, the second largest copper mine in the world, progressing slowly, the extraction activity has not yet started.

kk/mud