Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
KABUL: British envoy to Kabul, Domenic Jermey has said that the newly inaugurated geological centre would help the country to extract minerals and help in stabilization of the country.
The UK envoy said that all the minerals inside the country are the valuable wealth of Afghan people and it is the responsibility of the government to develop the mineral sector on behalf of the people.
Addressing to the opening ceremony here at Kabul he said that the government should pay attention to the extraction of minerals to use them for stability and economic growth of the country.
“Minerals in this country and the God-gifted wealth of this country belong to the people of Afghanistan and they belong to the government of AT Monitoring Desk
Afghanistan to develop its minerals on behalf of the people and that is why today I am delighted to be at the opening this laboratory which will help the government of Afghanistan,” the ambassador said.
Moreover, the deputy minister of mines, Ahmad Jawed Sadat said the laboratory was much needed and it would facilitate the geological surveys across the country.
“More than 30 types of tests could be done at the laboratory. It is very much important for us. It could be moved to areas which we would need,” Sadat said.
However, a number of staff at the laboratory complained about the lack of capacity and proper knowledge to use the machines at laboratory in a required and meaningful way.
“I think this is for the first time such machines have been in the country. They are highly technical therefore we need more training in order to use them better,” Murtaza, an employee of the laboratory said.
At least $373,000 USD has been invested in the laboratory.
Afghanistan has over 1400 mineral fields, containing barite, chromites, coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, natural gas, petroleum, precious and semi precious stones, salt, sulfur, talc, zinc among many other minerals. Gemstones include high-quality emerald, lapis lazuli, red garnet and ruby. It is believed that among other things the country holds $3 trillion in untapped mineral deposits. In December 2013, the former President Hamid Karzai was claimed that the mineral deposits are actually worth $30 trillion.
