The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan has signed a five-year contract for the extraction of gold at a mine in Qala-e-Zal district of Kunduz province, reported The Ariana News.According to the ministry, the agreement was signed on May 10 by Hedayatullah Badri, Afghanistan’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum, in the presence of the ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan.The project covers an area of approximately 5.97 square kilometres and is expected to attract an investment of $20.24 million.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company responsible for the project has pledged to pay a 30 percent royalty to the Afghan government and allocate $200,000 toward social development and public service initiatives in the area.
Officials said the project is also expected to generate employment opportunities for around 100 people through both direct and indirect jobs.
The agreement was part of ongoing efforts to attract domestic and foreign investment into Afghanistan’s mining sector, which authorities view as a key driver of economic growth and regional cooperation.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Director of National ArchiveObaidullah Hanif,and Head of Foreign Relations and Cultural Attachés at the Ministry of Information and Culture Mohammad Shafiq Ahmadzaiparticipated in an online meeting organised by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO), to discuss the preservation of Islamic manuscripts.