The Taliban Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has announced that it has signed a contract for the extraction of two gold mines in Takhar province with a private company. According to the agreement, the contracting company has committed to investing $89.064 million and is also required to pay 40% of the total value of extracted gold to the Taliban.
Hamyoun Afghan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, stated in a press release on the social media platform X that the contract was signed on Sunday, 14 Saratan, with the private company “Abdul Basir Mohammadi Afghan.” The agreement covers the extraction of the “Shol Dara” and “Warchi” gold mines in Chah Ab district of Takhar province and is valid for a period of 10 years.
According to the published details, the contracting company will invest $89.064 million in the development and extraction of these two mines. The contract also stipulates a 40% royalty rate for the Taliban, meaning the company is obliged to pay 40% of the total value of the extracted gold to the Taliban, regardless of costs, profit, or loss.
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum also stated that the local community’s share of the agreement includes $2 million allocated for the implementation of social service projects, which the contracting company is required to invest in Takhar province.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have expanded the extraction of minerals and natural resources through contracts with domestic and foreign private companies, particularly Chinese firms.
Meanwhile, some citizens and critics of the Taliban have raised concerns about the way mining contracts are awarded. They argue that the extraction of gold mines in Takhar and Badakhshan, natural resources in Bamiyan, salt mines in the north, mines in Herat, and precious stone deposits in Panjshir have so far yielded little tangible benefit for local communities. According to them, there has been neither meaningful investment in mining regions nor significant employment opportunities for local residents.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
