Business
Public Works on track with new road linking Badakhshan to China

The Ministry of Public works said Tuesday that construction of a road, connecting Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province to China, is underway and 15 percent of the project has been completed.
The Ministry said in a statement, the construction of a 49.7km unpaved road has started from Bozhai Gonbad Khord Pamir in Badakhshan and extends to the end of the Wakhan corridor close to the border with China.
The Ministry stated that the project is part of the government’s future plan for boosting regional transit that “brings Afghanistan steps closer to regional connectivity and economic policy.”
The project, at a cost of more than 369 million AFN, will be funded by the government, the statement said.
According to the statement, the impassable mountainous Wakhan corridor, which is a narrow strip of territory in Badakhshan province that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from Pakistan and Kashmir, would be connected to China via the road.
The Ministry of Public Works stated that the road, which will eventually be paved, will be the Wakhan Route and will “not only be a shortcut between China and Afghanistan…but will also help tourists reach Wakhan National Park.”
Historically, Badakhshan is a region comprising parts of what is now north-eastern Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and the Tashkurgan county in China. However, the name is retained by Afghanistan in Badakhshan Province.
Located in northeastern Afghanistan, Badakhshan is bordered by Tajikistan, Pakistan and China.
Most of the province is occupied by the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountain ranges.
Once Badakhshan was a stopover on the ancient Silk Road trading path but the Wakhan corridor has been closed to regular traffic for over a century as there is no modern road.
There is a rough track for a few dozen kilometers that was built in the 1960s, but for much of the way, to the Chinese border, there are only rough paths.
The remoteness of the region has meant that, despite the long-running wars of Afghanistan since the late 1970s, the region has remained virtually untouched by conflict and many locals, who are mostly composed of ethnic Pamir and Kyrgyz, are not aware of wars in the country.
Business
Gold climbs to record high as tariff worries bolster safe-haven demand

Gold’s record run extended to another all-time high on Tuesday, buoyed by safe-haven demand as investors brace for U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned announcement on reciprocal tariffs.
Spot gold was up 0.3% at $3,131.56 an ounce at 0914 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,148.88 earlier, Reuters reported.
U.S. gold futures were 0.3% higher at $3,159.10.
“Trump’s tariff comments and his increasingly volatile stance on Russia’s war against Ukraine are proving the perfect chaos for new record gold prices,” surpassing even the COVID pandemic five years ago, said Adrian Ash, head of research at online marketplace BullionVault.
Trump said on Sunday his reciprocal tariffs to be announced on Wednesday would include all countries, rather than a limited number.
Goldman Sachs on Monday raised the probability of a U.S. recession to 35% from 20% and said it expected more rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, as Trump’s tariffs roil the global economy and upend financial markets.
Gold, traditionally seen as a hedge against uncertainty and inflation, has risen more than 15% this year. Non-yielding bullion also tends to do well in a low interest rate environment.
“The market is watching April 2 closely for further economic indicators that could impact Federal Reserve policy decisions. If rate cuts are confirmed, this would provide additional support for gold’s upward trajectory,” said Alexander Zumpfe, a precious metals trader at Heraeus Metals Germany.
Bullion’s rally this year has also been supported by strong demand from central banks, geopolitical instability in the Middle East and Europe, and increased flows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds.
In the last session, gold closed out its strongest quarter since 1986, and climbed over $3,100/oz, marking one of the most significant upswings in the precious metal’s history.
Investors will also monitor U.S. job openings data later on Tuesday and the U.S. non-farm payrolls report on Friday.
Silver steadied at $34.06 an ounce, platinum fell 0.4% to $988.35, and palladium gained 0.3% to $985.86.
Business
Efforts underway to expand Afghanistan’s trade relations with India
A number of investors also suggest that the Islamic Emirate should actively participate in regional and trade fairs to increase exports, so that Afghan products can be marketed in regional and global markets.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce says that efforts are underway to expand trade relations with India, the volume of which reaches $650 million annually.
Abdulsalam Jawad Akhundzada, a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, says that India is also interested in expanding trade relations with Afghanistan, and Kabul has also taken steps in this regard by using Chabahar Port, and talks have been held with the Indian side on visas.
The Chamber of Commerce and Investment also says that trade relations between Afghanistan and India are expanding and these relations are strengthening with each passing day. According to officials of the chamber, Afghanistan has exported goods worth $500 million to India in the past year.
A number of investors also suggest that the Islamic Emirate should actively participate in regional and trade fairs to increase exports, so that Afghan products can be marketed in regional and global markets.
According to investors, once the visa issues with India are resolved, a large portion of the country’s fresh and dried fruits will be exported to India because India is a good market for Afghan fruits in the region.
Investors want the Islamic Emirate to pave the way for increased exports to India through Chabahar Port.
Business
36 mining contracts inked over the past year: Mines ministry

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum says it has signed 36 large and small mining contracts, with a total value of $1.3 billion over the past year.
Officials from the ministry stated that these contracts include 10 large mines, 25 small mines, as well as projects related to cement, salt, marble, and a major gas extraction contract with Uzbekistan, all signed with both domestic and foreign companies.
Meanwhile, economic experts have emphasized the importance of increasing investments in the mining sector for the country’s economic growth. They have stressed that priority in mining contracts should be given to domestic companies.
“It is better to prioritize domestic investors over foreign ones,” said Kamaluddin Kakar, an economic expert.
In the meantime, members of the private sector also stated that if both foreign companies and Afghan investors can partner in the mining sector, this will not only foster investment development in the country but also bring positive changes in capacity building within the mining extraction sector.
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