The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) said that China wants to invest in the gas and oil sectors in Afghanistan.

A spokesman for the MOMP, Homyaoon Afghan, said that they have provided essential facilities for the investors.

“The minister thanked the investors and said that Afghanistan is rich in gas and oil and it is expected that in the near future there will be announced the extraction of gas and oil in some areas,” he said.

The Afghanistan Chamber of Industry and Mines (ACIM) said foreign investment is important for a rise in national income and the creation of job opportunities for citizens.

“This is a good opportunity for Chinese companies and also for Afghanistan ... This is a good opportunity both for Afghanistan and China,” said Sakhi Ahmad Payman, deputy head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Industry and Mines (ACIM).

This comes as economists said that the surge in foreign investment will pave the way for job opportunities.

“The direct foreign investment can be effective in the improvement of economic conditions but what is important is how to direct the investment. There should be specifically investment in the mine sector and there should be attention paid so that the Afghan mines should not be dealt with at lower price,” said Mir Shikib Mir, an economist.

Earlier, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce reported that China had invested and signed contracts in Afghanistan worth $2 billion in investment after the fall of the former government.