KABUL, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Operations have commenced on a 22-million-U.S.-dollar gold mining venture in the Qala-e-Zal district of Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan, the official Bakhtar News Agency reported on Friday.
Spanning an area of six square km, the project has been awarded under a five-year contract, said the report, adding that the initiative will bolster the local economy, generate substantial government revenue, and create employment opportunities for hundreds of residents.
In a further demonstration of commitment to community development, the contracting entity has pledged 500,000 dollars toward local welfare and social programs.
Gold mining already supports more than 100,000 people through direct and indirect employment across Afghanistan, with particularly significant activity concentrated in the northern provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar.
Afghanistan possesses extensive untapped mineral reserves. However, large-scale extraction has long been constrained by insufficient investment, inadequate infrastructure, and persistent security challenges. ■