IEA to call for tenders for marble and lapis mines

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials said Saturday that based on a cabinet decision they will soon call for tenders for the extraction of marble in Wardak province and lapis lazuli in Badakhshan.

Officials from the second deputy prime minister’s office said however that an assessment would first be conducted into the two mines before they called for tenders.

Members of the Afghan private sector welcomed the IEA’s decision and called on the IEA to give priority to Afghan investors in the tender process.

“We are glad to extract the mines, which will benefit the people. It will be very beneficial if they (IEA) prioritize domestic investors,” said Mohammad Younus Mohmand, deputy head of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment.

Economists also welcomed the decision and said that the revenue generated will benefit the entire country.

“Tenders should be issued for all mines. If we do not extract minerals, the mines are useless,” said Taj Muhammad Talish, an analyst.

Afghanistan possesses a wealth of nonfuel minerals whose value has been estimated at more than US$1 trillion.

However, this sector has remained largely untouched as the former government was never able to successfully regulate the industry. For generations, the country has been renowned for its gemstones – rubies, emeralds, tourmalines and lapis lazuli.

These minerals are locally extracted, in mostly small, artisanal mines.

Far more value, however, lies with the country’s endowments of iron, copper, lithium, rare earth elements, cobalt, bauxite, mercury, uranium and chromium.