The Afghan government is eyeing on mining industry and exploration of underground natural resources to enhance the national income in the coming years, a statement released by the Ministry for Mines on Wednesday said.
Hajigak west of Kabul. Hajigak boasts 2 billion tonnes of reserves, with a 62 percent of iron concentration according to the mines minister. (Photo: Canada Afghanistan Business Council)
“The annual income of Afghanistan through mining at present is around 30 million U.S. dollars and the Ministry for Mines by implementing development projects would enhance it to 1 billion U. S. dollars within the next five years,” quoting Minister for Mines Waheedullah Shahrani, the statement added.
It also said that under an ambitious economic plan prepared by the Ministry for Mines, the income of the Afghan government through mining would increase up to 3.5 billion U.S. dollars within the next 15 years.
Afghanistan, according to the Ministry for Mines, has untapped minerals worth over 3 trillion U.S. dollars. The statement also added, Afghan Minister for Mines Waheedullah Shahrani in meeting with Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of Britain Alistair Burt and British Defense Secretary Liam Fax on here briefed them on Afghanistan’s underground resources and regulation for their exploration.