The mining contract for the gold mine in Takhar province, worth $310 million, was signed between the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and a Chinese company.

The spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Homayoun Afghan, spoke about stabilizing and surveying gold mines in the provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, Baghlan, Kunduz, and Faryab, and added that efforts are being made to establish gold processing plants in the country.

"Currently, we have only one contract in Takhar province with a Chinese company that has Afghan partners. This mine is located in the Chah Ab district of Takhar province and is one of the large-scale mines with an area of 12 square kilometers. It has been contracted with a Chinese company for five years and is currently in the exploration phase and will then enter the extraction phase," Homayoun Afghan told TOLOnews.

A number of economic analysts told TOLOnews that the money obtained from these mines should be spent on infrastructure projects and that gold processing plants should also be established in the country to increase employment opportunities.

"If the extraction of these mines, especially gold mines, is carried out in a standard and economical manner and processed within the country, it can directly impact the country's economy, including increasing employment and purchasing power," said Abdul Zuhoor Modaber, an economic analyst.

"We should extract our mines, prioritize the ones that should be prioritized, and from their profits, we can initiate large projects, such as building dams to generate energy," said Abdul Nasir Reshtia, another economic analyst.

Earlier, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced the distribution of permits in the provinces of Badakhshan, Panjshir, Kabul, Nooristan, Kunar, and parts of Laghman for the extraction of rubies, lapis lazuli, and beryl.