MoMP signs 315m-afs contract to develop Herat salt mine — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) says it has signed a contract worth more than 315 million afghanis with a private company to develop the first block of the Ghorian salt mine in western Herat province. In a statement, the ministry said Minister of Mines and Petroleum Mullah Hedayatullah Badri signed the 15-year contract with Ismail Shirzad Azizi Mining Extraction and Processing Company for the extraction of the first block of the Namsar salt mine in Ghorian district. According to the ministry, the project covers an area of 10.24114 square kilometres and involves an investment of 315.594 million afghanis. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Badri said the company would pay a royalty of 1,500 afghanis per tonne of extracted salt. He stressed that the company was required to carry out all operations transparently and responsibly in accordance with the Minerals Law, relevant regulations and the terms of the contract. The ministry said the company would also invest five million afghanis in social development projects, in addition to paying royalties, and would fulfil its environmental protection obligations. It added that implementation of the project would create direct and indirect employment opportunities for a number of people.