Qashqari oil revenue to fund construction projects

KABUL (TOLOnews): The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced that the revenue from Qashqari oil will be utilized for building a power plant, a hospital, and constructing roads in Sar-e-Pul.

According to Homayoun Afghan, the spokesperson for the ministry, the oil extraction level from the Qashqari oil field is expected to increase from 1,350 tons per day to 3,000 tons.

“The revenue will be used for the construction of a standard hospital in Sar-e Pol, the building of a power plant named Sultan Ibrahim Dam in Sar-e Pol, and for road construction in Sar-e Pol province,” Hamayoun Afghan said.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Industrial Association described the use of internally generated revenue in construction and development sectors as impactful.

Abdul Jabar Safi, the head of the Union of Industrialists, said, “We are compelled and obligated to use these revenues to build roads, hospitals, and electricity infrastructure so that employment opportunities are created for people, and they do not flee from our country.”

The marble mine in Chisht of Herat, which has been leased to a private company for extraction with an investment of twelve million dollars, has provided job opportunities for 5,000 people.

According to the Ministry of Mines, the marble extracted from this mine is currently processed in the industrial parks of Herat province, and after processing it will be exported to Turkmenistan, Iran, China, Uzbekistan, Germany, Oman, Kuwait, and India.

Shams Rahman Ahmadi, an economic analyst, told TOLOnews, “If processing factories are established here [within the country], it will be very beneficial for us and our economy.”

According to information from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, 150 small mines have been contracted to domestic companies, and 30 large mines have been contracted with companies from China, Iran, Turkey, Qatar, and other countries that have Afghan partners.