The Natural Resources Monitoring Network said on Wednesday that if the absence of a full-time minister and the consequential fragility of the Ministry of Mines are not addressed, it would have negative repercussions for economy of the country. 

The network said nothing from Afghanistan was displayed at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) 2017 Convention held in Canada on March 5 to 8.

The network added that the absence of a mining minister has had negative consequences for the capabilities and capacities of the ministry.

“The caretaker issue in the ministry of mines has reached in a point where matters are referred even to the second and third caretakers. Unfortunately, these problems are growing,” head of Natural Resources Monitoring Network Ibrahim Jaffari told TOLOnews.

According to the watchdog, the absence of a mining minister has affected the implementation of a number of mega projects including Aynak Copper Mine and Hajigak Mine as well as other smaller capacity projects.

Meanwhile, a factory owner in Balkh province, Mohammad Asif Hussaini, blamed the Ministry of Mines for delay in approving a number of contracts.

“The Ministry of Mines has delayed stucco contracts for the past one year. No progress has been made in this respect. Officials of the ministry tell us that this issue belongs to the procurement commission. We have no idea what to do,” Hussaini said. 

Ministry of mines declined to comment on the allegations. 

There has been frequent criticism about the fragility in the ministry of mines in the past.

The Presidential Palace so far has failed to nominate the minister of mines.

The former minister of mines Daud Shah Sabah resigned last year in March.