Business
Govt to call for tenders for 68 mines across Afghanistan
Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Thursday that of 108 mines in 23 provinces, the High Economic Council has approved the launch of a tender process for 68 of these mines.
Minister of Mines and Petroleum Haroon Chakhansuri said 800 million AFs will be invested in these mines.
According to Chakhansuri, the annual revenue generation from these mines will be between 150 and 170 million AFs and 3,000 jobs will be created.
“Mines with a high income will be focused on. The mineral extraction process will take place in three parts, first small mines after that mid-size mines and at the end large mines,” stated Chakhansuri.
He also said that they will start work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project by the end of the month but did not provide further details.
Meanwhile, investors said that wide-spread corruption in government and the presence of armed groups are challenges facing the mining industry.
International organizations and the government also said that illegal extraction of minerals from mines is a substantial source of income for armed groups.
“Private sector is willing to invest in mining but the government should pay attention to our demands. We need the mines and have the capacity to extract the minerals,” said Abdul Nasir Reshtia, head of the association of steel factories.
In 2007 the United States Geological Service did a study and discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves.
The previously unknown deposits — including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium — are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world.
At the time, an internal Pentagon memo, for example, stated that Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” a key raw material in the manufacture of batteries.
However, the industry has not only been dogged by corruption but it is also dominated by warlords and insurgents and largely goes unregulated, and under-developed.
Cooperation between the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment and the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce has paved the way for exporting potatoes from Bamyan province to the Uzbek market.
In this regard, Sayed Karim Hashemi, President of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, and Doran Vahabov, President of the Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, have agreed on the export of 100,000 tons of Bamyan potatoes to Uzbekistan. Work is underway to finalize the export agreement.
Meanwhile, the first shipment of potatoes, consisting of eight trucks, has departed for the Uzbek city of Termez through the Hairatan Port.
The chambers of commerce of both countries, in cooperation with local authorities in Bamyan, have facilitated connections between traders and farmers and coordinated the purchasing, marketing, and transportation of the produce. This initiative is expected to expand market opportunities for Bamyan farmers and strengthen trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid, has travelled to India to attend the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2026 in New Delhi.
The ministry said Zahid is scheduled to meet senior Indian government officials, trade representatives and investors during the visit.
Discussions are expected to focus on expanding bilateral trade and economic relations, increasing trade between the two countries, exploring new markets for Afghan products and identifying opportunities for joint investment.
The ministry said the visit aims to strengthen trade cooperation, promote Afghanistan’s production and export potential, and create new opportunities for economic engagement between Kabul and New Delhi.
The 45th India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2026 takes place from November 13 to November 27 in New Delhi.
Business
Afghanistan hosts dialogue on Islamic microfinance to expand access to Sharia-compliant financial services
Participants also explored practical solutions and future steps to strengthen the sector, emphasizing the importance of cooperation, knowledge-sharing and better coordination among relevant institutions.
A dialogue on Islamic microfinance was held in Kabul on Wednesday, bringing together representatives of financial institutions, government authorities, international partners and Afghanistan’s microfinance sector to discuss ways of expanding inclusive financial services in the country.
The event was organized by The Liaison Office in coordination with the Afghanistan Microfinance Association (AMA), Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) and the Indonesian Embassy in Kabul.
Participants discussed opportunities and challenges facing the development of Islamic microfinance services, with a focus on expanding access to financial products that comply with Islamic Sharia principles.
Representatives of AMA, Da Afghanistan Bank and the Indonesian Ambassador to Afghanistan delivered keynote remarks, highlighting the current situation of the microfinance sector, international experiences and opportunities for developing diverse Islamic financial products.
Two panel discussions focused on major challenges facing microfinance institutions, including structural barriers to growth, limited access to capital, funding and liquidity constraints, difficulties in securing guarantees, and the long-term sustainability of Islamic microfinance services.
Participants also explored practical solutions and future steps to strengthen the sector, emphasizing the importance of cooperation, knowledge-sharing and better coordination among relevant institutions.
The dialogue concluded with calls for stronger collaboration among financial institutions and development partners to improve access to inclusive, sustainable and Sharia-compliant financial services across Afghanistan.
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