KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani says China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are willing to invest in Afghanistan’s marble sector.
Ghani made the remarks during a meeting with teachers of the Geology Faculty of the Polytechnic University 9n Kabul at the Presidential Palace, his office said in a statement.
During the meeting, the president discussed his administration’s priorities, strengths and weaknesses of the mining sector, the statement read.
Ghani added China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were ready to invest in the marble quarries.
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum should focus on specific minerals and prepare a geological map of Afghanistan so that measures were taken for their extraction.
“Our revenue will significantly increase in the next four years if we operate with a clear vision of Afghanistan’s mines,” he remarked.
Referring to Afghanistan’s power generation capacity, Ghani said: “We will not be able to extract our mines properly until we have stable electricity supply.”
He underlined the need for more investment in establishing research centres and laboratories.
Amir Mohammad Mosazai, a professor who made a presentation, called Afghanistan one of the richest countries in the world in terms of mineral resources.
“Unfortunately, the natural wealth, especially the precious stones of Afghanistan, are extracted non-professionally and smuggled abroad. We are still faced with the research problem and a shortage of technical experts,” he concluded. (Pajhwok)