The Taliban have announced the signing of a contract for the extraction of the third block of the talc mine in Nangarhar province with a local private company.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said in a statement published on its X page on Tuesday, September 8, that the mine covers an area of approximately seven square kilometers.
According to the Taliban’s statement, the contract, valued at more than $4.5 million, was signed by Hedayatullah Badri, the Taliban’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum, with the Omar Farooq Talc Processing private company.
The Taliban said the contracted company will pay the group 1,320 afghanis for every tonne of talc extracted.
The group also claimed that the extraction of the mine would create employment opportunities and provide services for residents.
This comes as the Taliban’s signing of mining contracts with domestic and foreign companies in various parts of the country has faced widespread criticism, with the group being accused of plundering the country’s mineral resources.
