Over 11,000 carats of Panjsher emeralds sold for 4.7m afs

PARAKH (Pajhwok): About 11,842 carats of newly extracted emeralds from central Panjsher province have been sold for 4,770,360 afghanis, an official said on Tuesday.
Saifuddin Laton, spokesman for the Panjsher governor, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the emeralds were sold to precious stone traders in the presence of the Mines Protection Committee.
He said the provincial leadership considered the expansion of mining activities a key priority for promoting the local economy and achieving self-sufficiency for residents.
Laton said around 600 mines had so far been identified in Panjsher, employing approximately 12,000 workers.
He added that over the past three years, serious efforts had been made to implement comprehensive economic strategies, particularly for the development and expansion of mining activities.
According to him, the local administration remains committed to transparent legal frameworks governing mining activities and continues its efforts to ensure mineral extraction is carried out in a professional and standardised manner.
Meanwhile, traders participating in the auction expressed satisfaction with the transparent and favourable environment created for the purchase of precious stones, particularly emeralds, under the supervision of the Panjsher local administration.
They said the facilities and arrangements provided in this regard were commendable.
hz